Circle Geometry

Three advanced level lesson ideas from Susan Wall designed to explore the properties of circles and their equations. Each activity is accompanied by teacher notes suggesting how the activity could be delivered and possible extension ideas. The first activity requires students to match the equations of circles to statements cards. There is not a unique solution to this problem thus requiring students to explain the mathematics used to justify their solution. The second activity asks students to determine whether each of a number of statements is true or false. Once again students are required to justify their answer showing the mathematics they have used. In this exercise students are required to complete the square to rearrange the equation of the circle into a form that can be used to determine whether the statement is true or false. The third activity contains a miscellany of probing questions which can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom in order to assess student understanding.