List

Being Collaborative - Primary Geometry

Paper Partners
problem

Paper Partners

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you describe a piece of paper clearly enough for your partner to know which piece it is?
Always, Sometimes or Never? KS1
problem

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
problem

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.
Break it up!
problem

Break it up!

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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In how many different ways can you break up a stick of seven interlocking cubes? Now try with a stick of eight cubes and a stick of six cubes. What do you notice?
Cover the Camel
problem

Cover the Camel

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Can you cover the camel with these pieces?
Matching Triangles
problem

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
problem

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?
En-counters
problem

En-counters

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.
Shapely Lines
problem

Shapely Lines

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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This challenge invites you to create your own picture using just straight lines. Can you identify shapes with the same number of sides and decorate them in the same way?
Let's Investigate Triangles
problem

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?
Four Triangles Puzzle
problem

Four Triangles Puzzle

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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Cut four triangles from a square as shown in the picture. How many different shapes can you make by fitting the four triangles back together?
Poly Plug Pattern
problem

Poly Plug Pattern

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Create a pattern on the small grid. How could you extend your pattern on the larger grid?
Data shapes
problem

Data shapes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Sara and Will were sorting some pictures of shapes on cards. "I'll collect the circles," said Sara. "I'll take the red ones," answered Will. Can you see any cards they would both want?
Skeleton Shapes
problem

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?
Hundred Square
problem

Hundred Square

Age
5 to 11
Challenge level
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A hundred square has been printed on both sides of a piece of paper. What is on the back of 100? 58? 23? 19?
Overlaps
problem

Overlaps

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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What does the overlap of these two shapes look like? Try picturing it in your head and then use some cut-out shapes to test your prediction.
Colouring Triangles
problem

Colouring Triangles

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Explore ways of colouring this set of triangles. Can you make symmetrical patterns?
Chain of Changes
problem

Chain of Changes

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Arrange the shapes in a line so that you change either colour or shape in the next piece along. Can you find several ways to start with a blue triangle and end with a red circle?
Cubes Cut into Four Pieces
problem

Cubes Cut into Four Pieces

Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
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Eight children each had a cube made from modelling clay. They cut them into four pieces which were all exactly the same shape and size. Whose pieces are the same? Can you decide who made each set?
A Cartesian Puzzle
problem

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
problem

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?
Guess What?
problem

Guess What?

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you find out which 3D shape your partner has chosen before they work out your shape?
Square Corners
problem

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?
Seeing Parallelograms
problem

Seeing Parallelograms

Age
7 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 parallelogram.
Coordinate Challenge
problem

Coordinate Challenge

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Use the clues about the symmetrical properties of these letters to place them on the grid.
Counters in the middle
problem

Counters in the middle

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
Stick images
problem

Stick images

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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This task requires learners to explain and help others, asking and answering questions.
What shape?
problem

What shape?

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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This task develops spatial reasoning skills. By framing and asking questions a member of the team has to find out what mathematical object they have chosen.
Shape Draw
problem

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
problem

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?
Cut Nets
problem

Cut Nets

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Each of the nets of nine solid shapes has been cut into two pieces. Can you see which pieces go together?
Stringy Quads
problem

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!
Eight hidden squares
problem

Eight hidden squares

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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On the graph there are 28 marked points. These points all mark the vertices (corners) of eight hidden squares. Can you find the eight hidden squares?
Making Rectangles
problem

Making Rectangles

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Arranging cubes
problem

Arranging cubes

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Quad match
problem

Quad match

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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A task which depends on members of the group noticing the needs of others and responding.
Making Cuboids
problem

Making Cuboids

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
Quadrilaterals
problem

Quadrilaterals

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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How many DIFFERENT quadrilaterals can be made by joining the dots on the 8-point circle?
Ten Hidden Squares
problem

Ten Hidden Squares

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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These points all mark the vertices (corners) of ten hidden squares. Can you find the 10 hidden squares?
Board Block Challenge
problem

Board Block Challenge

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Choose the size of your pegboard and the shapes you can make. Can you work out the strategies needed to block your opponent?
ReflectoR ! RotcelfeR
problem

ReflectoR ! RotcelfeR

Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
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Can you place the blocks so that you see the reflection in the picture?
Inky Cube
problem

Inky Cube

Age
7 to 14
Challenge level
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This cube has ink on each face which leaves marks on paper as it is rolled. Can you work out what is on each face and the route it has taken?