Bruce Moody - Geometry

Geometry

Branding - Shapes with 8 sides are Octagons - does not have to look like the 'octagon' (regular octagon) we think everyday. There is not one particular octagon, the definition of an octagon is 8 sides with 8 pointy edges. 

Does a child understand the rules of the shape (triangle = 3 straight sides with 3 points/sharp corners). 

They have been branded that the shape is a 'triangle' and are going off what the shape looks like and wont accept what it is because they are focused on what it looks like.

Compass points - turns and angles (Level 3)

360 degrees full turn circle - rotations are one full turn, but you can have more than 360 degrees because you can keep turning around. If something is turning around again and again we can still measure how far or long they have travelled.

1/4 turn - right angle = 1/4 of 360 degrees (90 degrees).

You want the kids to decode where the angles are from knowing 360 degree angles, and 90 degree angles. 

Static version of angle, and a dynamic version of angle children must understand.

Making/working with circles

String - Make a circle with a piece of string

We are going to think about a circle a little differently.

- Stand exactly the same distance away from me, kids will stand in a line however, they need to stand around you in a circle (form a circle around you). 

A circle is not just about being a round shape, a new way of thinking about a circle is an equal set of points away from the center.

- Saying what it is first, establishing that a circle is not just a shape. You need to see the circle being created as a different way of seeing a circle. The most important part of the circle is the part you cant see.

How would you know if you can find the diameter of the circle (longest part of the circle/point you can find)

- Use string to find the longest part of the circle by starting at any point.

- Use a real circular object as an experience, how can you find the middle of the table?

- If you can the two diameters (string) that meet in the middle, you can guarantee you will find the middle.

Cube nets - Must solve a problem or be involved with something.

Draw a net, do you think this is going to make a cube?

Find the pattern on the dice (the opposite sides always add to 7).

Make their net and add the numbers into the right place on the dice.

- Rather than just making a cube, make something that is actually purposeful for example, matching things up on equal sides, making sure the writing is going to be the right way up, making sure they are taking care of what they are doing and paying attention to every side and the way they go together, which ones work, which ones do not.

Roll and Draw

There are a lot of different nets that can come from one shape. You can roll a book one way and the other, figuring out there is more than one way to make a net, working with the surface area.

Ask children to figure out all the different ways to make the box. 

- Tetris (3 dimensional rotations/spacial awareness).

Can still pull a part boxes and look at their net but relate it to the way we can draw the maths idea and ask why they might have the glue tabs etc (to make the box stick together and strong).

Maths nets have particular areas maybe 6 for example, pack n save boxes could have 9 areas but often because they make extra tabs for gluing etc.

Maps

- Points not zones. Do we mean the square (zone) or do we mean the point where the two lines cross.

The road is in E4, point out the two points that cross rather than the zone.

East - Sunrise

North - To the left of East