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reSolve: Pythagoras' Theorem - Bent bamboo

Teacher guide reSolve: Pythagoras' Theorem - Bent bamboo

TLF ID M021846

This lesson challenges students to use Pythagoras' Theorem to solve a problem from an ancient Chinese text. They make physical models of the problem and use this to construct a graph. They use algebra skills associated with binomial expansions and simplification of fractions to show that the general solution given in the Chinese text gives identical results to that developed using modern mathematical techniques. The lesson is outlined in detail including curriculum links, discussion points and student handouts. This sequence is part of the reSolve: Maths by Inquiry program.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This resource is valuable for the year 10 mathematics content descriptions about expanding and factorising algebraic expressions. Students simplify algebraic expressions to investigate a broken bambo problem, exploring how the relationship between the height of the break and the horizontal distance forms part of a parabola.
  • The resource is also valuable for supporting the Numeracy general capability. The lesson provides opportunities for students to apply proportional reasoning and their knowledge of patterns to identify trends and to solve problems.
Year level

10

Topics Algebraic terms Equations Binocular vision Exponential functions Indices Quadratics Distributivity
Learning area
  • Mathematics

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: Australian Government Department of Education and Training
  • Organization: Australian Government Department of Education and Training
  • Publisher
  • Name: Australian Academy of Science
  • Organization: Australian Academy of Science
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: https://www.science.org.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Unknown
Learning Resource Type
  • Online
Rights
  • © Australian Government Department of Education and Training 2018. Unless otherwise indicated, this material may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.