MATHS

PYTHAGORAS’ THEOREM TASK

Maths tasks not only make mathematics more attractive to the students but they also assist them in gaining a better understanding along the path of life-long learning. Moreover, maths tasks encourage students to comprehend concepts rather than simply memorising them.  Active involvement in the teaching-learning-assessing process, instead of just receiving information from the teacher in a passive way, helps to stimulate collaborative work in a real-life context.

 

I’m excited to share with you some comments and photos from students and teachers that show how we got hands-on with the Pythagorean Theorem proof and how it helped the Year 9 students really understand this geometry concept.   

Helen Angelis

Maths Teacher                

 

On Thursday 12 May, Ms Angelis was kind enough to help the class grasp a deeper understanding of Pythagoras’ theorem through a fun and innovative paper folding activity. In groups of two, the class of 9N created numerous paper posters - each and every one being both significantly eye-catching and highly informative. Using folded paper squares, we were all able to successfully identify and explain the basic theory of Pythagoras’ theorem as well as understand where and how it may be used in our daily lives. As a class, we all presented our work on large sheets of A3 paper and had the ability to decorate it however we wished.

 

Thanks again to Ms Angelis for such an engaging and informative lesson!  

Maggie Cao
Maggie Cao

Maggie Cao (Year 9)

 

During our most recent unit in Year 9 maths this term, we have been studying Pythagoras’ Theorem and how to apply it to our learning. After a range of exercises, our class came up with a method that demonstrates how the theorem (c2= a2 + b2) is used in action. After folding, cutting and pasting onto our posters without the use of calculators or rulers, we found that the squares across the hypotenuse, side C, was equal to the sum of both sides A and B (as shown in the image on the left). 

 

All in all, our Pythagoras unit has been very beneficial to the entire cohort for not only developing our understanding of mathematical equations, but also assisting us in our upcoming unit, trigonometry.   

Amelie Hicks
Amelie Hicks

Amelie Hicks (Year 9) 

 

I observed the Pythagoras Task being taught to Year 9 and thought it was fantastic. The students loved it and they learnt a lot. It was accessible to all levels of the class and provided a great balance between explicit teaching and enquiry-based learning. I could see a lot of students have lightbulb moments…”ah that’s what it’s all about” instead of just a formula that they wrote/ produced answers to. It was also great to see that the students actually understood the relationship between the two short sides and the hypotenuse.  Awesome work!      

 

Zoe Murdoch

Maths Teacher 

 

Today I learnt how to do Pythagoras theorem and this helped me visualise how to actually do it. I learnt that c2= a2 + b2.     

Rosie Sparshatt (Year 9)

 

Benji and I learnt that in Pythagoras Theorem c2= a2 + b2 . No matter what the value of a and b are, c will always be the sum of a2 and b2.

 

Alexander Rowe Hansen
Alexander Rowe Hansen

Alexander Rowe Hansen (Year 9)