Susana.Maths Learning Story.

Susana’s Maths learning Story

The Maths problem:  

The Te Rito community gardens in Porirua are thinking about developing a new vegetable garden. They have 36 meters of thick string to ‘rope off’ a rectangular area for the new garden. What different options do they have? They want the garden to be a rectangular shape. What is the largest rectangular garden they can make?  How can you prove this?

The story of the Maths problem: (use your own words)

The Te Rito garden people are making a rectangular garden. They have 36 meters of rope.

What we were trying to find out:

What is the largest rectangular garden they can make with 36 meters?  How can you prove this?

How we solved the problem:

First, we remembered that a rectangle has 2 long sides and 2 short sides and 4 corners. Then we drew a rectangle and we remembered it has to be exactly the same on each side. Next, we knew that the perimeter has to equal 36 meters. Then we tried drawing different rectangles like this: So what  did was I drew a rectangle and I was like thinking in my head well maybe if I made it 12 on every side but then Miss Trish came and said well what is half of 12 and then I said 6 so then Miss Trish said well maybe you can try that so I did and then Miss Trish reminded me you have to find the area so then I thought well maybe I can 12 x 6 and that = 72 and that was plan A but I have one more and that is plan B and this is how plan B works. So if you split 36 then you can split it in to 10 and 10 and then 8 and 8 so then I drew a rectangle and put the two 8s on the top and bottom and t hen I got the two 10s and put it on the two sides and I x the 10 and 8 and that = 80 so plan B has the bigger area.

Working as a group is important:  

I am good at listening to advice because I try the suggestions. I am getting better at explaining my thinking because I have been able to do it here.