Applied Maths

Ideas for Teachers

You can view and download the full teacher's guide here: Fundamental Applied Maths - Teacher's Guide

Teaching tips

Applied Maths is one of the most marvellous subjects to teach. If you teach Maths to Leaving Cert Higher Level – and if you understand physics – you’ll be able to teach it (although the Teaching Council might have something to say …).

The secret of teaching Applied Maths is not to teach too much. Lead your students through the basic principles and then let them at it! There are plenty of problems to be solved.

Another important thing is not to make the problems too hard during 5th Year. The students need to get used to solving reasonable questions. Concentrate on the exam only in the last 6 months.

In 2021 a new syllabus was introduced.  It is a wonderful blend of traditional mechanics and cool new stuff such as Difference Equations, Networks & Graphs and Optimal Paths.  The Third Edition of Oliver Murphy’s best-selling textbook ‘Fundamental Applied Maths’ covers the new material thoroughly and clearly.

Students will have to submit a Project as part of the new course.  It carries 20% of the marks.  The exam will carry the remaining 80%.  In the new exam, students will to do ALL questions.  This means that teachers will have to cover all of the course.  

If you go onto www.folens.ie (NOT folensonline or folensHIVE) and type in the words ‘Applied Maths’, you will find resources for the new syllabus:

A teachers’ guide to the new course (what’s new and what’s gone, how long to spend on each topic, what is on the Ordinary Level, teaching tips, etc).
Seven Youtube lessons by Oliver Murphy on the seven most important new items on the course
Posters for you to print off and display in your classroom
An electronic copy of the book
Solutions to all questions

Uniform Acceleration Slides

SAMPLE and PAST LEAVING CERT HIGHER APPLIED MATHS PAPERS

A book containing seven sample and past papers as well as seven projects is available through Folens from September 2024. It contains detailed advice about marks, doing the project, revising and doing the exam. There is also a breakdown (topic-by-topic) of what turned up in all of the papers. Finally, we have the answers (but not solutions) to all of the questions.

The booklet is nearly 300 pages long and uses the precise format as used in the Leaving Cert (with space for the students to write their solutions). Each of the papers has 10 questions (of which students have to do eight) – as will happen in 2025. You can purchase copies of this book through Folens.