Polygon Hunting
Find all the different polygons that can be drawn by joining dots
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SuggestedHow Many Squares? 2
A printable grid containing many copies of the design used in the second
shape counting Starter. |
RelatedAreas of Composite Shapes
Find the areas of combined (composite) shapes made up of one or more simple
polygons and circles. |
Similar ActivityAreas Investigation
Investigate polygons with an area of 4 sq. units. Investigate polygons with other areas. |
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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.
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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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