MATHS

YEAR 9 PYTHAGORAS’ ACTIVITY

For many maths students, Pythagoras’ theorem (a2 + b2 = c2) is a well-known result. It relates the side lengths of a right-angled triangle. 

But one may be amazed to learn that there are over 300 different ways to prove this theorem. While some of the proofs are a bit more technical than others, several visual proofs exist and these are some of the most intuitive ways to see why the theorem works.

Recently in the Year 9 Maths classrooms, students were engaged in a hands-on activity to convince themselves that no matter what are the dimensions of the right-angled triangle, the square area formed by longest side length is always equal to the combined square areas formed by the two shorter sides. 

Using a clever way to cut up the second smallest squares, the biggest one can always be formed by tiling together the pieces from the smaller two. It is an interesting proof of Pythagoras’ result and a nice way to learn abstract mathematical relationships using a picture.

Dr Sandy Law

Year 9 Mathematics

“I think Pythagoras’ theorem activity is quite a great, interesting and helpful topic to do in class because doing an activity in real life and proving it is real is quite a great hands-on experience which gets the whole class involved. We found that mixing maths and art makes maths classes way more fun. We learnt a lot while also having fun. We believe that it is a very helpful activity to do because it expands our understanding of the topic.”

Xander Claridge 9M

“Before starting a new chapter in our textbooks, our teacher gave us the Paper Proof of Pythagoras’ Theorem worksheet which introduced us to the Pythagoras’ Theorem. We had to draw a right angle triangle and then cut out squares of coloured pieces of paper, piecing them together to create a pythagoras theorem. The activity was really fun, hands on and gave us a great introduction into the new topic.”

Darneet Chahil 9B & Phoebe Rodda 9D

“Completing the Pythagoras Activity really helped me gain a better understanding of how the Pythagoras theorem works. I enjoyed it because it was something different to learning the theorem through taking notes or sitting and listening to the teacher speak. I would love to see more hands-on activities in maths as I struggle to sit still at a desk for a long time and activities like these do a better job of keeping me engaged and interested in what we are learning.”

Lizzie Wharton 9M

“I really enjoyed completing the Pythagoras Activity. I felt it broadened my knowledge on the Pythagoras’ Theorem and I was able to understand and attempt more complex questions. I would most definitely like to see more hands-on activities as it enables students like myself to 'think outside the box'. Furthermore, I liked how the activity was a change of pace. Rather than sitting and writing notes, I could interact with my peers and utilise my scissors and ruler to create a piece of work that benefited my learning.”

Evelyn Kouprine 9M

“The Pythagoras activity was extremely helpful in terms of seeing first hand what Pythagoras theorem actually is and how it works; it was also fun to complete the activity. I believe it is a good thing to work with more hands-on activities in Maths because it gives us a deeper understanding in what we are learning.....”

Ryan Wemyss 9M

MCK CHESS GRAND PRIX 2021

The McK Chess Grand Prix tournament updates: 

Since the start of Term 2, another two rounds have been completed. The yet-to-drop-a-point Anthony Duong (Year 10), consolidated his lead over the rest of the field and is now the clear favorite to take out the GP title. Meanwhile, the battle for other placings remains wide open with over 15 players still have a mathematical chance to reach the top 6.

Current Top 10 players: Anthony Duong, Gregory Liarakos (Year 11),Timothy Nicolaides (Year 9),Will Richter (Year 11),Sam Potter (Year 11),Jonathan Kui (Year 9),Zac Sidley (Year 11),Ben Green (Year 9),Alex Nguyen (Year 10) andMatthew Day (Year 11).

The final round will be played on Friday 14 May. 

To check out the latest results, fixtures and ladder positions, visit the official McK Chess GP website here:

Sandy Law

2021 McK Chess GP