# The Art of Showing Your Working ### In SQA Higher Mathematics - answers earn marks ✔️<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - reasoning/working earn more ✔️<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - clear working = partial credit + fewer errors ✔️✔️<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - 🗣 communication is part of doing mathematics <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## Why It Matters - mark schemes award marks for working ✅ <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - you can only get them if your working is visible 👀<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - writing clearly helps the marker 🧑‍🎓 and improves your own thinking 🧠 💭<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## How Markers Read - logical flow line-by-line <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - correct notation and labelling <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - justified steps (not “magic jumps” 🐇) <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - a stated conclusion -- always answer the question! <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## Common Pitfalls - skipping steps → “magic answer syndrome 🪄” <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - inconsistent symbols or missing “=”<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - unlabelled diagrams / missing units <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - no final statement in words <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## Magic Answers vs Clear Working Question: solve \\( 2x^2 - 3x - 2 = 0 \\) --- ### ❌ Magic Answer \\( x = 2 \text{ or } x = -\tfrac{1}{2} \\)<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> ➡️ looks right… but how did we get there? <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - no method shown <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - no reasoning to earn method marks <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ### ✅ Clear Working \\[ \begin{align*} 2x^2 - 3x - 2 &= 0 \\\\ (2x + 1)(x - 2) &= 0 \\\\ 2x+1 &= 0 \\text{ or } x-2 = 0 \\\\ \\text{ => }x &= -\\tfrac{1}{2} \\text{ or } x = 2 \end{align*} \\] ➡️ full credit earned — method, reasoning, and answer are clear<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## Follow your teacher - your teacher is your model <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - carefully follow how your teacher sets out the working to a problem <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - you are learning the expected way of setting things out <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - please feel free to pick up things from me<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## What Will You Really Remember? - most of the content of Higher Maths will fade in time<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - that’s completely fine<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## What should remain is how to think: - how to tackle complex problems<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - how to structure your reasoning<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - and how to make your solution clear to others<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## In the workplace - no one will mark your answers<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - nevertheless the onus is on you to communicate your thinking clearly<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - and that’s the lasting gift of mathematics:<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - learning to make sense of complexity and to explain it well<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## Summary - show your reasoning clearly<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - use consistent notation<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - make your layout easy to follow<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - treat each solution as a mini story:<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - clear beginning<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - logical middle<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - definite conclusion<!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - 🗣 communication is part of doing mathematics <!-- .element: class="fragment" -->