CHAPTER 1 : THE

ROLE OF GEOMETRY
Kamilia Eliyana binti Puasa
S2171509
CONTENTS
Why Learn Geometry?
The Geometry Curriculum
​Teaching and Learning Geometry
Chapter 1 : the Role of Geometry 3

WHY LEARN GEOMETRY?

o At an early age, children started learning geometry informally to recognize shapes
and understanding horizontal, vertical and parallel.
o The first steps in learning geometry is to name, describe, classify and making
links to measurement, position and movement.
o In Varignon’s Theorem, is proves that quadrilateral formed by joining the
midpoints of any quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
o Geometrical problems can be solved by measurement and calculation or purely
using geometrical reasoning or algebraic procedures too.
o There are 2 broad strands of geometry that is pure or synthetic geometry and
analytics or coordinate geometry.
o Pure geometry refers to the Euclid’s Element or study or geometry using
axiomatics method and the tools such as compasses.
o Analytics geometry is the study of geometry that uses algebraic symbolism and
methods to solve the problems.
Chapter 1 : the Role of Geometry 4

WHY LEARN GEOMETRY?

o In United Kingdom, it is said that geometry is included in the mathematics
curriculum because of 3 reasons.
o To extend spatial awareness
o To develop the skills of reasoning
o To stimulate, challenge and inform
o Spatial awareness is concerned with our ability to perceive and manipulate
geometrical objects. In everyday tasks, we need to have a sense of shape and
space in any situations and geometrical representation can also provide both
insight and appeal.
o The study of geometry can promote the habit of thinking through the constant
urge to pose and solve problems, to seek patterns, to note links and connection
and finally to prove conjectures.
o Geometry itself is an interesting subject and worth engaging with for its aesthetic
and intellectual appeal as it is subjected to the things in our surroundings.
 Chapter 1 : the Role of Geometry 5

WHY LEARN GEOMETRY?

o The example used by Oldknow and Taylor (2000) shows the use of dynamic geometry software in teaching mathematics.
o The centers of circles are taken as the vertices of a given triangle.
o There are 3 ways to solve this problem
o Synthetic geometry
o Dynamic geometry software
o Algebraic procedures
o The steps to be taken to solve the problem using synthetic geometry is
o Construct the bisectors of two of the angles of the triangle
o From their point of intersection, drop a perpendicular to one of the sides of the triangle
o Draw the two circles that touch at that point
o Construct the third circle
o For algebraic procedures, we denote the lengths of the sides of the triangle by a, b and c and the radii of the circles by x, y and z.
 6

THE GEOMETRY CURRICULUM

o In a comparative study of geometry curricula by Hoyles, Foxman and Kuchemann (2002) finds that
o Geometry s strongly link to the real world in Netherlands
o Geometry has little emphasis on the real world in France, Japan and Singapore.
o The ICMI study, Mamma and Villani (1998) raises concern as there are significant differences
between countries in the relative emphasis of geometry curriculum that is not static.
o The mathematics curriculum varies between country
o England is determined by the National Curriculum, DfEE/QCA (1999)
o Geometry curriculum in the United States is influenced by Crrriculum and Evaluation
Standards for School Mathematics, NCTM(1989)
o United States has greater emphasis approaching geometry through the real world context as
described by Senk and Thompson (2003).
o In England, France, Japan and Singapore, the correlation of geometry to the real world is abstract
and trivial in way as there s little consensus.
 7

THE GEOMETRY CURRICULUM

o The study of geometry is based on
o Polygons and their properties, giving particular emphasis to triangles, quadrilaterals and
regular polygon
o Circles and their properties related to chords, tangents and angles
o Three-dimensional figures such as polyhedral and the sphere, cylinder and cone
o Other curves such as the parabola and ellipse, and their properties
o The study of geometry emphasis on
o Measurement and calculation of length, angle, area and volume
o Symmetry and transformation
o The use of algebra
o The Theorem of Phythagoras and trigonometry
o Congruence and similarity
o Coordinates and equations of straight lines, curves and surfaces
o Matrices and vectors
 8

THE GEOMETRY CURRICULUM

o The geometrical reasoning and the importance to proof
o Geometrical results are linked together in hierarchical way as the starting points
o The urge to prove what has been suggested by intuition or experiment
o Explanation and discover, element of challenge with fulfillment after success
o Can add greatly to our understanding
o Lead to discovery of new results, being a major motivation for developing new mathematical
ideas.
o To prove geometrical results that is not intuitively obvious
o The problem by Duval (1998) is a good example of geometrical result that is not intuitively
obvious.
Chapter 1 : the Role of Geometry 9

THE GEOMETRY CURRICULUM

There are three approaches to solve this problem

1) There are three pairs of congruent triangles : AHP and AGP, PEC and PFC and ABC and ADC. the pairs of
corresponding sides are equal because it is created by the diagonal of a rectangle. Since the corresponding pairs
of triangles are congruent, therefore equal in area, the two rectangles have the same area.

2) The six triangles are similar. Focusing on triangle AGP and PFC,

The length AG, PF, GP and FC are denote by a, b, c and d.

Denoting the equal angles APG and PCF by

3) Alternative trigonometry argument uses the same pair of triangle as above. Angles APG and PCF denoted by and
letting lengths AP and PC be p and q

Then, the area of both rectangles is given as

 10

TEACHING AND LEARNING GEOMETRY

o Students need to explore ways of solving problems
o Teachers need to help students to be able to find ways around to solve the problems as a catalyst
by asking them relevant questions through remembering and discussion.
o Learning geometry successfully requires facts, reasoning ability and the ability to find clues to
solve the problems.
o Two type of understanding identified by Skemp (1976) is instrumental and relational.
o Instrumental is knowing how to carry out the procedures
o Relational is knowing why the procedure works as well as ow to carry it out.
o Based on the report of RAND (2003), the five traits to be competent in mathematics is to have
o Procedural fluency
o Conceptual understanding
o Strategic competence
o Adaptive reasoning
o Productive disposition
o Successful mathematics teaching in Hungary and Japan to be noted is
o Mathematics is presented as a problem-solving activity
o Relatively few problems are completed each lesson.
THANK YOU