MathsTalk by AMSI Schools

Host Leanne McMahon takes us inside the Victorian Maths Camps, a fully funded, five-day residential enrichment program for high-ability Year 9 and 10 students in Victorian government schools. Delivered by AMSI (https://amsi.org.au/victorian-maths-camps/) in partnership with the Mathematical Association of Victoria (https://www.mav.vic.edu.au/Student-Activities/Camps) and the Y, and funded by the Victorian Government, the camps combine rich mathematical problem-solving, collaborative projects, industry and academic connections, and outdoor camp activities. Students Yuna, Akhil, and Anika share what the experience is really like - the friendships, the challenge of getting stuck, and how it reshaped their thinking about future study and careers. James Mott highlights the role of industry and academic visitors in showing students where mathematics goes beyond the classroom. Leanne also offers practical advice for students considering applying, for parents, and for teachers who might have a student who needs this opportunity.

Sponsored by Texas Instruments Education Australia(https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers).

Useful links:
Victorian Maths Camps — program info & applications](https://amsi.org.au/victorian-maths-camps/)
MAV — Student Activities & Camps](https://www.mav.vic.edu.au/Student-Activities/Camps)
Texas Instruments Education Australia — teacher resources & PD](https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers)

Contact the program: maths-camps@unimelb.edu.au

Transformations in 3D: How AMSI approaches new concepts in the ICE-EM textbooks
Episode summary
Three-dimensional coordinates and transformations are a significant addition to the Year 8 mathematics curriculum—but how do we introduce them without making 3D geometry feel unnecessarily abstract? In this episode of MathsTalk, AMSI Schools’ Leanne McMahon explores the thinking behind the new Transformations in 3D chapter she authored for the fourth edition of ICE-EM Mathematics Year 8. Beginning with students’ existing understanding of 2D coordinates and transformations, Leanne looks at how teachers can build towards ordered triples, coordinate planes and transformations in three-dimensional space. She discusses the value of dynamic geometry software such as GeoGebra, practical approaches for developing spatial reasoning, and real-world applications including drones, robotics, gaming, animation, architecture, 3D printing and navigation.

AMSI ICE-EM Mathematics textbooks
The fourth edition of ICE-EM Mathematics covers Years 5–10 and has been updated for Australian Curriculum Mathematics Version 9.0 and Victorian Curriculum Mathematics Version 2.0. The new editions include additional digital resources, video explanations, written solutions and connections with AMSI Calculate and AMSI Careers resources.

Explore the ICE-EM Mathematics series
https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/

ICE-EM Mathematics Fourth Edition – Year 8
https://schools.amsi.org.au/2026/03/10/ice-em-mathematics-third-edition-year-8/

Order ICE-EM Mathematics from Cambridge University Press & Assessment
https://www.cambridge.org/au/education/australia-subject/mathematics/ice-em-mathematics-5-10-4th-edition

Year 8 curriculum: position and location in three dimensions
The Australian and Victorian Curricula Mathematics  content description VC2M8SP03 asks students to describe the position and location of three-dimensional objects using different representations, including a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system and dynamic geometry software or other digital tools. Its elaborations include drones, 3D printing, virtual maps, multistorey car parks and the construction of objects in a 3D coordinate system.

Victorian Curriculum Mathematics 2.0 – VC2M8SP03
https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Search?q=VC2M8SP03

GeoGebra and 3D geometry
GeoGebra’s free 3D Calculator allows students to plot points and objects in three-dimensional space, manipulate the viewing perspective, construct planes and solids, and explore mathematical transformations dynamically.

Open the GeoGebra 3D Calculator
https://www.geogebra.org/3d?lang=en_AU

GeoGebra 3D Calculator – help and overview
https://help.geogebra.org/hc/en-us/articles/8493632359069-3D-Calculator

Learn GeoGebra 3D – official tutorial
A guided introduction to the 3D Calculator, including solids, rotations, cross-sections and other 3D constructions.
https://www.geogebra.org/m/aWhYSpvy

GeoGebra apps and downloads
Includes the Calculator Suite, Geometry app and 3D Calculator.
https://www.geogebra.org/download?lang=en-AU

GeoGebra transformation resources
An interactive collection exploring translations, reflections, rotations and dilations.
https://www.geogebra.org/m/TReQvk73

Upcoming: AMSI Industry Day for Teachers – Albury-Wodonga
AMSI’s next Industry Day for Teachers will be held on Thursday 10 September 2026 at La Trobe University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus.

This free professional learning event is designed for secondary mathematics and STEM teachers and careers advisers from regional Victoria and southern New South Wales. The day connects teachers with tertiary educators and industry professionals to explore where mathematics is being used in the workforce and the diverse pathways available to students.

Victorian high school teachers attending the event can also apply for one of a limited number of $500 CRT/travel bursaries.

Albury-Wodonga event details
https://amsi.org.au/events/event/industry-day-for-teachers-la-trobe-albury-wodonga/

AMSI Industry Day for Teachers – program, speakers and registration
https://amsi.org.au/amsi-industry-day-for-teachers/

Proudly supported by Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments provides Australian mathematics teachers with classroom technology, curriculum-aligned activities, teaching resources and professional learning opportunities. Its Australian Teacher Resource Centre includes free classroom activities and assessment resources for Years 7–10, as well as webinars, tutorials and professional development.

Texas Instruments Australia – Teacher Resource Centre
https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers

Australian Curriculum Nspired – classroom activities and resources
https://education.ti.com/en-au/australiancurriculumnspired/aus-nz/home

Texas Instruments Australia
https://education.ti.com/en-au/

More from AMSI Schools
AMSI Calculate – mathematics resources for teachers and students
https://calculate.org.au/

AMSI Careers – explore where mathematics can take you
https://careers.amsi.org.au/

Listen to more MathsTalk episodes
https://calculate.org.au/mathstalk-podcast/

When students ask, “When am I ever going to use this maths?”, real examples can make all the difference. In this special MathsTalk episode, Leanne McMahon previews AMSI’s FREE Industry Days for Teachers, taking place on Thursday 30 July 2026 at Swinburne University of Technology and CSL’s global headquarters. Discover how mathematics supports careers in artificial intelligence, sustainability, business analytics, biotechnology, gem faceting and more, and learn how the day will help secondary mathematics, STEM and careers educators connect classroom learning with real-world pathways. The episode also covers the speaker program, industry tour, professional learning certificate and limited $500 CRT and travel bursaries available to Victorian teachers. There is also a day at Latrobe University, Albury/Wodonga Campus on 10th September.

Links and resources
Attend the Industry Day
AMSI Industry Day for Teachers—event information and speaker program
https://amsi.org.au/amsi-industry-day-for-teachers/

Register for the Melbourne Industry Day
https://www.tfaforms.com/5225482

AMSI Industry Day invitation and event details
https://australianmathematicalsciencesinstitutes.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/r/C2A8887C1D5D3A052540EF23F30FEDED/C67FD2F38AC4859C/text/?context=BE1559E32AC7F640D744A813E2B67A32&previewAll=1&print=1&source=PrintPreview&tx=0

CRT and travel bursary enquiries
enquiries@amsi.org.au

Event partners and featured organisations
Swinburne University of Technology—Applied Mathematics
https://www.swinburne.edu.au/courses/find-a-course/science/applied-mathematics/

CSL
https://www.csl.com/

Plante
https://www.growplante.com/

Coco the Creator
https://www.cocothecreator.com/

Bunnings careers
https://www.bunnings.com.au/jobs

Mathematical Association of Victoria
https://www.mav.vic.edu.au/Home

Australian Facetors’ Guild
https://www.facetorsguild.com.au/

Classroom and careers resources
AMSI Mathematics Careers Resources for the Classroom
Lesson plans, presentations, activity sheets and recordings from previous Industry Days for Years 7–10.
https://calculate.org.au/industry-day/

AMSI Careers
Career profiles, videos and information showing where mathematics and statistics can lead.
https://careers.amsi.org.au/

MathsTalk podcast
Access previous MathsTalk episodes and their accompanying resources.
https://calculate.org.au/mathstalk-podcast/

Texas Instruments Teacher Resource Centre
Australian curriculum-aligned classroom activities, webinars and professional learning resources.
https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers

In this episode of MathsTalk, Leanne continues the conversation about using textbooks creatively, moving from Years 7 and 8 into the more complex terrain of Years 9 and 10.

While many of the same principles still apply; conceptual understanding, mathematical language, structured lessons and exercises used for thinking rather than just completion, Years 9 and 10 bring their own challenges. Students are working with more demanding content, wider gaps in assumed knowledge, more entrenched mathematical identities, and a stronger need to see relevance in what they are learning.

This episode explores how teachers can use a resource such as the AMSI ICE-EM books to support both students who need consolidation and students who are ready for greater challenge. It considers how textbook exercises can be used to reveal structure, diagnose misconceptions, support mathematical communication, and keep mixed-ability classes working around the same important mathematical ideas.

In this episode
Leanne discusses:

why Years 9 and 10 are not simply “harder Years 7 and 8”

how older misconceptions can affect the learning of more demanding content

the importance of mathematical language, reasoning and explanation

how to use textbook exercises for thinking, not just completion

why relevance becomes more important in Years 9 and 10

ways to support mixed-ability classes without watering down the mathematics

how anxiety, disengagement and behaviour can be connected to students’ mathematical histories

five planning questions teachers can use when working from the textbook

Reflection questions for teachers
When planning from the textbook, consider:

What is the core mathematical idea?

What prior knowledge is being assumed?

What misconceptions or avoidance patterns am I likely to meet?

Which parts of the textbook sequence matter most?

How can I preserve common mathematical access while supporting a wide range of learners?

Links and resources
AMSI ICE-EM Mathematics Textbooks
https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/
AMSI’s ICE-EM Mathematics series covers Years 5–10 and is designed to develop mathematical ideas with depth, support and challenge. (AMSI Schools)

Texas Instruments Australia Teacher Resource Centre
https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers
Free professional learning and Australian curriculum-aligned resources for classroom technology. (education.ti.com)

Australian Curriculum: Mathematics
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/curriculum-information/understand-this-learning-area/mathematics/
Useful for considering the role of reasoning, problem-solving, fluency, understanding and mathematical communication across F–10. (Australian Curriculum)

AMSI Careers
https://careers.amsi.org.au/
Resources for helping students see where mathematics can lead, including career profiles, videos and real-world applications. (AMSI Careers)

Open Middle
https://www.openmiddle.com/
Problems with a shared starting point and answer, but multiple possible strategies and pathways. (Open Middle® |)

Illustrative Mathematics Tasks
https://tasks.illustrativemathematics.org/
A searchable collection of standards-based mathematical tasks, including middle and high school content. (Illustrative Mathematics)

NRICH Secondary Teacher Resources
https://nrich.maths.org/teachers/secondary
Rich problem-solving tasks and teacher resources organised by topic and age group. (NRICH)

reSolve Maths
https://resolve.edu.au/
Free Australian mathematics resources designed to support inquiry, reasoning and rich mathematical thinking. (reSolve)

Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Texas Instruments Australia. Explore tools, lessons, professional learning and classroom resources at:
https://education.ti.com/australia

In this solo episode of MathsTalk, Leanne McMahon explores how to use Textbooks creatively in Years 7 and 8, where students are moving from primary habits into more abstract secondary mathematics. The episode focuses on building precise mathematical language, identifying common transition misconceptions, using textbook exercises for concept development rather than simple practice, and structuring mixed-ability lessons around the same core task so all students can engage with the same important mathematics. It also argues for the central role of conceptual understanding in a book-based curriculum, and for teachers being deeply familiar with the curriculum so they can adapt, extend and refine tasks with confidence.

Resources mentioned in the episode include:

AMSI ICE-EM textbooks will be published by Cambridge later in the year https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/ 

Texas Instruments Australia for teacher resources and professional learning (https://education.ti.com/en-au/teachers?category=professional-development )

NRICH for rich tasks and problem-solving https://nrich.maths.org/ 

Compression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMmaiaZZeW0 

youcubed for open and creative classroom tasks https://www.youcubed.org/ 

GeoGebra for interactive visual exploration https://www.geogebra.org/ 

Open Middle for challenging problems that unlock student thinking (Open Middle® |)

Illustrative Mathematics for problem-based middle years mathematics and collaborative reasoning routines (Illustrative Mathematics K–12 Math)

University of Melbourne’s decimal misconceptions site for insight into common misconceptions about decimal numbers (extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au)