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Going Deeper with Geometry
The tasks in this feature for Primary teachers offer opportunities for learners to dig deeply into geometrical ideas. With no obvious routes to a solution, the activities encourage children to be creative in their approaches and provide contexts in which they can
communicate their findings clearly.
You can also watch a recording of the webinar in which we discussed the mathematical thinking which can be prompted by these activities.
Going Deeper: Achieving Greater Depth with Geometry
Age 5 to 11
This article for Primary teachers outlines how providing opportunities to engage with increasingly complex problems, and to communicate thinking, can help learners 'go deeper' with geometry.
Sizing Them Up
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level 
Can you put these shapes in order of size? Start with the smallest.
Always, Sometimes or Never? KS1
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Are these statements relating to calculation and properties of shapes always true, sometimes true or never true?
Let's Investigate Triangles
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Vincent and Tara are making triangles with the class construction set. They have a pile of strips of different lengths. How many different triangles can they make?
One Big Triangle
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Make one big triangle so the numbers that touch on the small triangles add to 10.
Matching Triangles
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
Can you sort these triangles into three different families and explain how you did it?
Skeleton Shapes
Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level
How many balls of modelling clay and how many straws does it take to make these skeleton shapes?
Jig Shapes
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Can you each work out what shape you have part of on your card? What will the rest of it look like?
Seeing Squares
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level
Players take it in turns to choose a dot on the grid. The winner is the first to have four dots that can be joined to form a square.
A Cartesian Puzzle
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Find the missing coordinates which will form these eight quadrilaterals. These coordinates themselves will then form a shape with rotational and line symmetry.
Shape Draw
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Use the information on these cards to draw the shape that is being described.
Square Corners
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
What is the greatest number of counters you can place on the grid below without four of them lying at the corners of a square?
Always, Sometimes or Never? Shape
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Are these statements always true, sometimes true or never true?
A Puzzling Cube
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Here are the six faces of a cube - in no particular order. Here are three views of the cube. Can you deduce where the faces are in relation to each other and record them on the net of this cube?
Stringy Quads
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
This practical problem challenges you to make quadrilaterals with a loop of string. You'll need some friends to help!
Egyptian Rope
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
The ancient Egyptians were said to make right-angled triangles using a rope with twelve equal sections divided by knots. What other triangles could you make if you had a rope like this?
Fitted
Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level
Nine squares with side lengths 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, and 18 cm can be fitted together to form a rectangle. What are the dimensions of the rectangle?
Treasure Hunt
Age 7 to 14
Challenge Level
Can you find a reliable strategy for choosing coordinates that will locate the treasure in the minimum number of guesses?