It is undeniable that creating prompts for some parts of the mathematics curriculum can prove more difficult than for other parts. Those topics that do not have close connections to other areas of mathematics are the most problematic. When Caitriona Martin (a maths teacher in Surrey, UK) requested a prompt on constructions, the narrow focus on a discrete skill militated against the design of an open inquiry prompt. However, a closed prompt could start with the end-point of construction. Thus, an inquiry teacher might use a simple diagram combining two constructions of loci. The aim would be to guide students' | mathematical form of bearings. The class decided to inquire into how to deduce "the bearing of A from B" from "the bearing of B from A". The inquiry ended with a generalisation from different examples drawn by the students and a discussion about the accuracy of their measurements. One conclusion focussed on the importance of ensuring the arrows pointing north are parallel. |
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