gerard mcn
@germinalmaths.bsky.social
I teach maths in a Scottish state-sector secondary school.
From “Sciencia”, published by Wooden Books. Or the shorter QED, by the same publisher.
November 30, 2025 at 12:22 PM
From “Sciencia”, published by Wooden Books. Or the shorter QED, by the same publisher.
Two triangles with the same area.
Which has the greater perimeter?
How do you know?
No calculators.
Thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social for the geoboard software on mathsbot.com
Which has the greater perimeter?
How do you know?
No calculators.
Thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social for the geoboard software on mathsbot.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Two triangles with the same area.
Which has the greater perimeter?
How do you know?
No calculators.
Thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social for the geoboard software on mathsbot.com
Which has the greater perimeter?
How do you know?
No calculators.
Thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social for the geoboard software on mathsbot.com
Same area (not perceptually obvious) but different perimeters, which can increase without limit.
Conceptually hard?
I would say so.
Conceptually hard?
I would say so.
November 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Same area (not perceptually obvious) but different perimeters, which can increase without limit.
Conceptually hard?
I would say so.
Conceptually hard?
I would say so.
Rhombus and kite.
November 26, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Rhombus and kite.
Similar approach for parallelograms
November 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Similar approach for parallelograms
These images - with thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social (geoboard on Mathsbot.com) - show that a rectangle where one side is the mean of the two parallel sides and the other the height of the trapezium - may be of use.
November 26, 2025 at 9:19 PM
These images - with thanks to @studymaths.bsky.social (geoboard on Mathsbot.com) - show that a rectangle where one side is the mean of the two parallel sides and the other the height of the trapezium - may be of use.
I’ve been thinking about this. My experience chimes with yours -poor retention of the formula for area of a triangle is a real issue. What if we halved one side of the rectangle? These images could be cut up or coloured to highlight equal areas.
November 25, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I’ve been thinking about this. My experience chimes with yours -poor retention of the formula for area of a triangle is a real issue. What if we halved one side of the rectangle? These images could be cut up or coloured to highlight equal areas.
Stuck in the middle with Hughes.
November 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Stuck in the middle with Hughes.
Some skillfully-presented and adorned work in #MathsToday.
Pity the content is not yet to the same standard.
Back to the drawing board, I suppose.
Pity the content is not yet to the same standard.
Back to the drawing board, I suppose.
October 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Some skillfully-presented and adorned work in #MathsToday.
Pity the content is not yet to the same standard.
Back to the drawing board, I suppose.
Pity the content is not yet to the same standard.
Back to the drawing board, I suppose.
Hip, Hip, Array.
September 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Hip, Hip, Array.
Got a real buzz in #MathsToday checking these homework submissions. I love it when pupils have the ability to navigate a question and express their solution strategy in their own unique way. They seem to be developing the relational understanding I would want them to have.
September 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Got a real buzz in #MathsToday checking these homework submissions. I love it when pupils have the ability to navigate a question and express their solution strategy in their own unique way. They seem to be developing the relational understanding I would want them to have.
September 21, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Greenhead Moss, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire is home to a raised peat bog. These stairs aid access to the surface of the bog. The numbers on the risers, not quite an arithmetic sequence, indicate the age of the peat at the corresponding depth.
September 14, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Greenhead Moss, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire is home to a raised peat bog. These stairs aid access to the surface of the bog. The numbers on the risers, not quite an arithmetic sequence, indicate the age of the peat at the corresponding depth.
I only discovered it a couple of months ago: a colleague lent it to me for summer reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Regarding amicable numbers, here’s an extract from Wikipedia. Perhaps your students would be interested to hear about Niccolo Paganini - see highlighted passage.
Regarding amicable numbers, here’s an extract from Wikipedia. Perhaps your students would be interested to hear about Niccolo Paganini - see highlighted passage.
September 12, 2025 at 5:14 PM
I only discovered it a couple of months ago: a colleague lent it to me for summer reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Regarding amicable numbers, here’s an extract from Wikipedia. Perhaps your students would be interested to hear about Niccolo Paganini - see highlighted passage.
Regarding amicable numbers, here’s an extract from Wikipedia. Perhaps your students would be interested to hear about Niccolo Paganini - see highlighted passage.
Times tables.
Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church,
Bellshill,
North Lanarkshire
Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church,
Bellshill,
North Lanarkshire
September 10, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Times tables.
Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church,
Bellshill,
North Lanarkshire
Sacred Heart and St. Gerard’s Church,
Bellshill,
North Lanarkshire
Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire.
A hidden geometric treasure.
A hidden geometric treasure.
September 6, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire.
A hidden geometric treasure.
A hidden geometric treasure.
Although, personally, I’d go foe Melissa.
August 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Although, personally, I’d go foe Melissa.
Simultaneous Linear Equations with my S4 class in #MathsToday.
These tasks seemed effective in delivering my aim to help consolidate learning to date and with general sense-making.
Just realised my wording could be better in task 2.
These tasks seemed effective in delivering my aim to help consolidate learning to date and with general sense-making.
Just realised my wording could be better in task 2.
August 22, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Simultaneous Linear Equations with my S4 class in #MathsToday.
These tasks seemed effective in delivering my aim to help consolidate learning to date and with general sense-making.
Just realised my wording could be better in task 2.
These tasks seemed effective in delivering my aim to help consolidate learning to date and with general sense-making.
Just realised my wording could be better in task 2.
I’m interested to know if those who got Q2 correct got all three correct and if those who got Q3 correct also got Q1 correct.
I would like to think so, but maybe not.
(I’ve tried to represent this pictorially)
I would like to think so, but maybe not.
(I’ve tried to represent this pictorially)
August 19, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I’m interested to know if those who got Q2 correct got all three correct and if those who got Q3 correct also got Q1 correct.
I would like to think so, but maybe not.
(I’ve tried to represent this pictorially)
I would like to think so, but maybe not.
(I’ve tried to represent this pictorially)
Teachers in Glasgow (and elsewhere in Scotland) are back in schools tomorrow, pupils returning on Thursday.
I’ve been assembling a garden bed this afternoon. What maths can I do with my pupils using this as a prompt?
I’ve been assembling a garden bed this afternoon. What maths can I do with my pupils using this as a prompt?
August 11, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Teachers in Glasgow (and elsewhere in Scotland) are back in schools tomorrow, pupils returning on Thursday.
I’ve been assembling a garden bed this afternoon. What maths can I do with my pupils using this as a prompt?
I’ve been assembling a garden bed this afternoon. What maths can I do with my pupils using this as a prompt?