Constructing Shapes in Mathematics
Today my Year 9 class spent time outside the classroom, engaged in team building activities.
The students worked together in small groups using rope to create 2-D and 3-D shapes.
Since the students had recently completed a measurement topic they were very familiar with the shapes. However, when it came to actually constructing them it certainly proved to be an interesting challenge, that required much discussion and plenty of moving around to build many complex shapes.
As the teacher, my role was to play the skeptic and ask the students to justify and explain how they knew that their shape was a true representation of the shape and its defined characteristics. Having constructed their shapes, the students then had to provide convincing arguments by answering questions such as;
What is your shape?
What are the characteristics of your shape?
How can you prove it is a true representation?
How can you prove that the sides are equal?
How do you know the angles are right angles?
Thinking about and discussing these kinds of questions helps students develop valuable mathematical skills as they learn to make convincing arguments, critique others' arguments and develop an understanding of the concept of proofs. It also gives them opportunities to engage in collaborative group work, be creative and problem solve in a variety of situations; important skills for 21st century learning.
Mrs Sharon Schubert
Numeracy Enhancement Specialist