Measurement (area & perimeter): Perfect Pond
The Problem
Orchard Primary School’s eco council decided that they wanted to encourage more wildlife into their school grounds by building a medium-sized pond. Some members of the council had calculated that there was enough space to build a pond with a perimeter of exactly 20 metres.
What might their pond look like? Can you draw it on 1 cm squared paper using the scale 1 cm = 1 m? Can you draw more than one pond design?
How do your pond designs compare to a partner’s? What is the same? What is different?
Did you know?
Dragonflies are often among the first creatures to be attracted to a new pond. They have an interesting life cycle, spending up to two years under water in their larval stage and only around 2 -3 weeks as beautiful flying insects.
Visualising the Problem and Getting Started
Ismael drew a pond design on 1 cm squared paper (see below). Ismael said, “Using the scale 1 cm = 1 m, my pond will have a perimeter of exactly 20 metres.” Is Ismael right? Discuss how you know with a partner.
