Mathematicians often use tools to help them to make discoveries, and it is well known that using manipulatives can help students to develop new conceptual understanding. In this feature, we share interactive tools and dynamic geometry to encourage your students to explore, pose questions, make conjectures and prove ideas.
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Using digital manipulatives and interactivities to develop curiosity
In this short article, Alison and Liz explore how pupils' curiosity can be stimulated by digital environments.
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Favourite
Shifting times tables
Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
Can you find a way to identify times tables after they have been shifted up or down?
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Favourite
Polygon rings
Age
11 to 14
Challenge level
Join pentagons together edge to edge. Will they form a ring?
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Favourite
Semi-regular tessellations
Age
11 to 16
Challenge level
Semi-regular tessellations combine two or more different regular polygons to fill the plane. Can you find all the semi-regular tessellations?
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Favourite
Quad in quad
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Join the midpoints of a quadrilateral to get a new quadrilateral. What is special about it?
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Surprising equalities
Age
14 to 18
Challenge level
Take any triangle, and construct squares on each of its sides. What do you notice about the areas of the new triangles formed?
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Pentagon construction
Age
16 to 18
Challenge level
Follow the instructions to create a regular pentagon. Can you prove it is indeed regular?
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Intriguing Interactivities
This feature for primary teachers brings together tasks with interactivities to stimulate learners' curiosity.