This is an example of one of our Axiom Maths sessions. As part of your application to become an Axiom Maths Mentor, we ask you to answer two questions based on it: a short written solution and a short video.
The final slide of the PDF below poses a problem called Degree Dash. That is the problem we would like you to answer. We recommend that you read through the rest of the slides first, so you have the context and can see what is covered in one of our sessions.
We expect mentors to spend up to an hour preparing for a session, so give yourself a similar amount of time here.
The PDF below is the first part of an Axiom Maths circle session on arguments from contradiction. You can read it on this page or download it to read offline.
Axiom Maths Mentor task - Degree Dash.pdf
Axiom Maths Mentor task - Degree Dash.pdf
The slides include notes on what mentors say and listen for. Read them closely, because they show how a mentor leads a maths circle. Your answer to Degree Dash, the last problem, should follow the same "If ... then ... but ... so ..." structure used throughout the session.
Write a solution to the problem "Degree Dash" at the end of the PDF, in 500 words or fewer. Use the "If ... then ... but ... so ..." structure introduced in the session.
The word limit is a maximum. A clear argument is often much shorter, so do not pad your answer.
Record a brief video, no more than five minutes long, explaining the key points of your solution to a fellow mentor. Your audience is another mentor, not a young mathematician. Your aim is to help that mentor decide how to bring out the maths from the pupils in their circle.
We recommend recording your video with Loom, Zoom or software already on your computer. This lets you share your screen where you need to. You can then upload the video to your application.
Bringing out the maths from pupils is how Axiom Maths mentors lead maths circles. It sits between two ends of a spectrum. At one end is direct instruction, where the mentor tells pupils what to do. At the other is discovery learning, where pupils are left to find everything for themselves.
Mentors can get the balance wrong in either direction: