Task of the Week: A cover for the sandbox

Today, MCM talks with Philipp Larmann about the task of the week in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. He studied mathematics education for secondary and grammar schools at Goethe University and was a participant in the MoMaTrE Intensive Study Program 2019. The task was awarded the Most Mathematical Task Award in the category Lower Secondary. The task was developed in collaboration with Kristína Galová (SK), Silvia Haringová (SK), Maria Joana Monteiro (P) and Clément Guérin (F).

What is the task about?

The task is about a sandbox and the area of its surface, because you want to cover it during the winter. The special thing about the sandbox is that it has the shape of a general rectangle, so it has no right angles and all sides have different lengths. The students who work on this task therefore have to think for themselves how to best divide the surface of the sandbox into well-known geometrical forms, the area of which can then be calculated.

For what purpose was this task created?

That a right triangle can also be considered as half of a rectangle should be experienced by the students working on the task and it is essential to solve this task at this grade level.

What do you like about MathCityMap?

MathCityMap is a perfect enrichment for math lessons. The learning and working on real objects, the possibility to use elements of gamification, and the versatility of possible tasks are highly motivating for the students. With the use of MathCityMap interesting introductions into new topics can be created as well as well-known contents can be further deepened and practiced.

Thank you for your Engagement for MathCityMap!