Big ideas
‘Big ideas’ are mathematical concepts, principles or strategies that:
- have broad application and enable students to connect ideas across different areas of Mathematics
- form the basis of further mathematical learning.
Organising content and learning experiences around a big idea facilitates students’ efficient acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding.
Example
Equivalence is a big idea in Mathematics. Students develop an understanding that numbers, measurements and numerical and algebraic expressions can be represented in various ways.
The teacher should make the connections across different areas of Mathematics explicit. For example:
