Have you ever done a prac in maths?
As STEM Leader and a member of our Extension 2 Maths class, I recently got to experience maths in a whole new, hands-on way alongside my classmates. Guided by Ms Church, we participate in an interactive lesson to help gain a deeper understanding of loci – the unique paths formed when certain mathematical conditions are met.
We explored different concepts – constructing a line by arranging ourselves equidistant from two fixed points, shaping an ellipse by ensuring each point maintained a constant sum of distances from two focal points, and creating a parabola by positioning ourselves equidistant from a fixed point (focus) and a line (directrix). Each shape highlighted a unique mathematical property, helping show how these principles extend beyond equations.
Afterwards, we moved to Geogebra, a mathematics software, where we graphed these shapes digitally, bringing our ‘human graphs’ to life on the screen. The use of practical and digital learning made maths even more engaging, and as STEM Leader, I loved seeing how much fun we all had tackling maths in a totally new way!