Sinead Vaughan, AC for Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark
On 2 July, a group of Year 8 students and their teachers came to Trinity School in Croydon to explore the mathematics behind braiding and participate in a Dragon Quiz.
During the Braiding talk, students had the opportunity to make a mathematical braid with a cardboard octagon, by repeatedly moving the third strand of wool. The session then moved on to look at which other numbers could be used in the place of 8 (the number of sides) and 3 (the strand). This investigation led to a discussion of factors, multiples, and coprime numbers and encourages the audience to make and test their own conjectures. Students and teachers described it as “very engaging” and a “wonderful enrichment activity”, and that they were still pondering the theory at the end of the afternoon!
The Dragon Quiz involved students working in teams with students from other schools to answer questions. This gave students the opportunity to improve their mathematical communication skills and make new friends.
If you’re interested in enrichment events, please explore the AMSP’s events listing.