Geoboard Squares
![[Decoration]](../materials/assessment/thumbs/geoboard_squares.jpg "[Picture] Geoboard Squares")
Geoboard Squares
Pupils Investigate patterns in the number of nails on a geoboard used to form a square.
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Practical details
- Suitability
- National Curriculum levels 6 to 7
- Time
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Resources
- Ruler, pencil, calculator and 1 cm squared dotted paper
Key Processes involved
- Representing
- Draw squares on centimetre squared dotty paper.
- Analysing
- Count the ‘nails’ round the edge and in the centre of their squares. Collect results into a table and look for patterns in the numbers.
- Interpreting and evaluating
- Use their patterns to answer the questions on the sheet.
- Communicating
- Explain what patterns they find and how they have used them to answer the questions.
Teacher guidance
Check that pupils fully understand the context, for example, show them a geoboard with a square on it and ask:
- Can you see that the third square has 12 nails round the edge and 4 in the middle?
- Read all the questions and answer them as carefully as you can.
- Show all your working so that I can understand your thinking.
Pupils may tackle the task in different ways, but they might be expected to:
- Draw squares
- Count the nails on the edges and inside the squares
- Put their results into a table
- Find patterns in their results
- Use these patterns when answering the questions on the sheet