Square tangram

5528 /www/nrich/html/content/id/5528/ 1 2011-02-01T00:00:01 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mdoxml version="1.0"> A set of shapes has five pieces. First, make a square using four pieces. Then, make a square using all five pieces. <a href="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4-5.swf">Full screen version</a> <mdo:flash height="400" width="600"><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4-5.swf" ></param><param name="flashplayerversion" value="7" ></param><param name="height" value="400" ></param><param name="width" value="600" ></param></mdo:flash> <div>Then add another set of five pieces (so now there are ten) and make a square with all of them.</div> <a href="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10.swf">Full screen version</a> <mdo:flash height="600" width="600"><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10.swf" ></param><param name="flashplayerversion" value="7" ></param><param name="height" value="600" ></param><param name="width" value="600" ></param></mdo:flash> You could download this sheet with two sets of pieces for printing and cutting - <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.doc">Word document</a> or <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.pdf">pdf version</a> . </mdoxml> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mdoxml version="1.0"> This is much more tricky than it looks, isn't it?! Well done to those of you who managed to make a square using four or five pieces. Callum from Brookside Primary, Becky from Holy Cross C of E School, Jonah from Great Wilbraham Primary and Max from Eastwood Primary made a square with four pieces. Here is Becky's solution which correctly leaves out the small square: <mdo:image alt="four pieces without small square" height="245" src="beckysol.gif" width="450"></mdo:image> Dafydd, also from Holy Cross, and Rowley from Culford Primary solved the five-piece challenge. This is Rowley's image: <mdo:image alt="five pieces" height="157" src="rowleysol.gif" width="164"></mdo:image> Mel from Christ Church Grammar, Rowley from Culford Primary, Eleanor from Great Wilbraham Primary, Callum from Castle Carrock Primary and Shiv from Sanskaar Valley, Bhopal in India, all sent in solutions to the ten-piece challenge. In fact, between them they managed to come up with four different ways of solving it! Well done everyone! <mdo:image alt="Square tangram ten piece solution" height="350" src="Square%20tangram%2010-piece%20solutions.gif" width="350"></mdo:image> After a long gap we have now received another solution from Hannah (11 years old) from Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland, New Zealand. With the help of her 12 year old brother Hannah came up with this additional solution to the ten piece problem: <mdo:image alt="" src="10-part-tangram.jpg" style="width: 342px; height: 303px;"></mdo:image> Thank you for sending this in, Hannah.</mdoxml> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mdoxml version="1.0"><div class="embed"> <h2>Square Tangram</h2> A set of shapes has five pieces. First, make a square using four pieces. Then, make a square using all five pieces. <a href="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4-5.swf">Full screen version</a> <mdo:flash height="400" id="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4-5.swf" width="600"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4-5.swf"></param> <param name="flashplayerversion" value="7"></param> <param name="height" value="400"></param> <param name="width" value="600"></param> </mdo:flash> <div>Then add another set of five pieces (so now there are ten) and make a square with all of them.</div> <a href="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10.swf">Full screen version</a> <mdo:flash height="600" id="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10.swf" width="600"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10.swf"></param> <param name="flashplayerversion" value="7"></param> <param name="height" value="600"></param> <param name="width" value="600"></param> </mdo:flash> You could download this sheet with two sets of pieces for printing and cutting - <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.doc">Word document</a> or <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.pdf">pdf version</a> . </div> This tangram is a challenging context in which to remind pupils of the properties of squares. If preferred, they could <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.doc">print</a> and cut out the tangram pieces rather than using the interactivity. In both cases, it is important that children become more confident at simply "having a go" and playing with their ideas to begin with, rather than feeling that they need to know the "right" way to do it from the start. You might like to model this trial and improvement approach, perhaps on an interactive whiteboard, emphasising that we can learn a lot from what doesn't work. </mdoxml> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mdoxml version="1.0"> For making a square using four pieces take out the little square. <mdo:flash height="400" width="600"><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_4_hint.swf" ></param><param name="flashplayerversion" value="7" ></param><param name="height" value="400" ></param><param name="width" value="600" ></param></mdo:flash> Make a square using five pieces. Arrange them into the grey square. <mdo:flash height="400" width="600"><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_5_hint.swf" ></param><param name="flashplayerversion" value="7" ></param><param name="height" value="400" ></param><param name="width" value="600" ></param></mdo:flash> Make a square using ten pieces. Arrange them into the grey square. <mdo:flash height="600" width="600"><param name="movie" value="/content/id/5528/square_tangram_10_hint.swf" ></param><param name="flashplayerversion" value="7" ></param><param name="height" value="600" ></param><param name="width" value="600" ></param></mdo:flash> You might want to download this sheet with two sets of pieces for printing and cutting - <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.doc">Word document</a> or <a href="/content/id/5528/pieces_no_shape.pdf">pdf version</a> . </mdoxml> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <mdoxml version="1.0"> <mdo:image width="456" height="300" alt="4 pieces" src="sol_4.png"></mdo:image> <mdo:image width="303" height="300" alt="5 pieces" src="sol_5.png"></mdo:image> <mdo:image width="306" height="300" alt="10 pieces" src="sol_10.png"></mdo:image> </mdoxml> 2 4 0 1 0 0 0 Square tangram This is a new problem for our birthday website. Can you use four of these pieces to form a square? 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