This problem solving activity has a geometry focus.
Charlie has been blindfolded. The other students have given him some instructions to follow. They say that he has to walk three steps forward and then make a quarter turn clockwise. They get him to do that three more times in a row.
What shape has Charlie walked?
In this problem we explore 2-dimensional space by using Charlie's movements. It is a chance to experience movement and basic shape attributes. Through this, students start to get a feeling for direction, turns and distance in the plane.
Charlie has been blindfolded. The other students have given him some instructions to follow. They say that he has to walk three steps forward and then make a quarter turn clockwise. They get him to do that three more times in a row. What shape has Charlie walked?
Could you get Charlie to ‘walk out' a square shape using clockwise and anticlockwise turns?
What other shapes can you instruct Charlie to 'walk out'?
Could you give Charlie instructions to 'walk' the shape of a building in your school?
Charlie will produce a square with sides three paces long.
The students' instructions would need to include telling Charlie to walk the same number of paces for each side and to make 3 turns either all clockwise or all anticlockwise.
Instructions could be given for Charlie to walk an oblong (rectangle) or other shape. Look for students to transfer their knowledge of the attributes they can see on a physical shape (e.g. the number of sides) to their instructions.
Students could 'walk' (round) a chosen building, noting a starting place and counting paces, then give instructions to another student.
Printed from https://meaningfulmaths.nt.edu.au/mmws/nz/resource/blindfolds at 8:55pm on the 26th February 2024