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Going Deeper with Geometry

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The tasks in this feature for Primary teachers offer opportunities for learners to dig deeply into geometrical ideas. With no obvious routes to a solution, the activities encourage children to be creative in their approaches and provide contexts in which they can communicate their findings clearly.

You can also watch a recording of the webinar in which we discussed the mathematical thinking which can be prompted by these activities.

Let's Investigate Triangles
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Let's Investigate Triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Vincent and Tara are making triangles with the class construction set. They have a pile of strips of different lengths. How many different triangles can they make?
One Big Triangle
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One Big Triangle

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Make one big triangle so the numbers that touch on the small triangles add to 10.
Sizing them Up
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Sizing them Up

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you put these shapes in order of size? Start with the smallest.

Matching Triangles
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Matching Triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you sort these triangles into three different families and explain how you did it?
Jig Shapes
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Jig Shapes

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you each work out what shape you have part of on your card? What will the rest of it look like?
Always, Sometimes or Never? KS1
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Always, Sometimes or Never? KS1

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Are these statements relating to calculation and properties of shapes always true, sometimes true or never true?
Seeing Squares
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Seeing Squares

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a square.

Skeleton Shapes
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Skeleton Shapes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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How many balls of modelling clay and how many straws does it take to make these skeleton shapes?
A Cartesian Puzzle
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A Cartesian Puzzle

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Find the missing coordinates which will form these eight quadrilaterals. These coordinates themselves will then form a shape with rotational and line symmetry.
A Puzzling Cube
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A Puzzling Cube

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Here are the six faces of a cube - in no particular order. Here are three views of the cube. Can you deduce where the faces are in relation to each other and record them on the net of this cube?
Square Corners
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Square Corners

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid below without four of them lying at the corners of a square?
Treasure Hunt
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Treasure Hunt

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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Can you find a reliable strategy for choosing coordinates that will locate the treasure in the minimum number of guesses?
Shape Draw
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Shape Draw

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Use the information on these cards to draw the shape that is being described.
Egyptian Rope
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Egyptian Rope

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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The ancient Egyptians were said to make right-angled triangles using a rope with twelve equal sections divided by knots. What other triangles could you make if you had a rope like this?
Stringy Quads
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Stringy Quads

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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This practical problem challenges you to make quadrilaterals with a loop of string. You'll need some friends to help!
Fitted
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Fitted

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Nine squares with side lengths 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 18 cm can be fitted together to form a rectangle. What are the dimensions of the rectangle?