Polygon Hunting

Find all the different polygons that can be drawn by joining dots

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Undo Clear
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Investigate the properties of the polygons you find.

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How Many Squares? 2

How Many Squares? 2

A printable grid containing many copies of the design used in the second shape counting Starter.

The short web address is:

www.transum.org/go/?to=manysquares2

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Areas of Composite Shapes

Areas of Composite Shapes

Find the areas of combined (composite) shapes made up of one or more simple polygons and circles.

The short web address is:

www.transum.org/go/?to=areacomposite

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Areas Investigation

Areas Investigation

Investigate polygons with an area of 4 sq. units. Investigate polygons with other areas.

The short web address is:

www.transum.org/go/?num=79

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This activity is based on an article Polygon Hunting: Extending the Field by W. A. Ewbank in the publication Mathematics in School, Vol. 13, No. 5 (Nov., 1984), pp. 28-29 Published by: The Mathematical Association.

Investigations Home

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A mathematical investigation is quite different to other mathematical activities. The best investigations are open ended and allow students to choose the way they work and how they record their findings. It is one of the few occasions when 'going off on a tangent' is not only acceptable but actively encouraged (within reason).

Students may ask for 'the answers' but this supposes that the activity is closed. Investigations can always be extended by varying the initial instructions or asking the question 'what if...?'. Sometimes students point out that the instructions are ambiguous and can be interpreted in different ways. This is fine and the students are encouraged to explain how they interpreted the instructions in their report.

Some students may benefit from a writing frame when producing the reports of their investigations. Teachers may suggest sections or headings such as Introduction, Interpretation, Research, Working and Conclusion or something similar.

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The short web address is:

Transum.org/go/?to=remainder

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