Geoboard
Encyclopedia
A geoboard is a mathematical manipulative often used to explore basic concepts in plane geometry
such as perimeter
, area
or the characteristics of triangle
s and other polygon
s. Consisting of a physical board with a certain number of nails half driven in, in a symmetrical
square five-by-five array, students are encouraged to place rubber band
s around the pegs to model various geometric concepts or to solve other mathematical puzzles. Two-dimensional representations of the geoboard may be applied to ordinary paper using rubber stamp
s or special "geoboard paper" with diagrams of geoboards may be used to help capture a student's explanations of the concept they have discovered or illustrated on the geoboard.
Geoboards were invented and popularized by Egyptian mathematician Caleb Gattegno
in the 1950s.
Plane geometry
In mathematics, plane geometry may refer to:*Euclidean plane geometry, the geometry of plane figures,*geometry of a plane,or sometimes:*geometry of a projective plane, most commonly the real projective plane but possibly the complex projective plane, Fano plane or others;*geometry of the hyperbolic...
such as perimeter
Perimeter
A perimeter is a path that surrounds an area. The word comes from the Greek peri and meter . The term may be used either for the path or its length - it can be thought of as the length of the outline of a shape. The perimeter of a circular area is called circumference.- Practical uses :Calculating...
, area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
or the characteristics of triangle
Triangle
A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or vertices and three sides or edges which are line segments. A triangle with vertices A, B, and C is denoted ....
s and other polygon
Polygon
In geometry a polygon is a flat shape consisting of straight lines that are joined to form a closed chain orcircuit.A polygon is traditionally a plane figure that is bounded by a closed path, composed of a finite sequence of straight line segments...
s. Consisting of a physical board with a certain number of nails half driven in, in a symmetrical
Symmetry
Symmetry generally conveys two primary meanings. The first is an imprecise sense of harmonious or aesthetically pleasing proportionality and balance; such that it reflects beauty or perfection...
square five-by-five array, students are encouraged to place rubber band
Rubber band
A rubber band is a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop and is commonly used to hold multiple objects together...
s around the pegs to model various geometric concepts or to solve other mathematical puzzles. Two-dimensional representations of the geoboard may be applied to ordinary paper using rubber stamp
Rubber stamp
Rubber stamping, also called stamping, is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment is applied to an image or pattern that has been carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber. The rubber is often mounted onto a more stable object such as a wood, brick or an...
s or special "geoboard paper" with diagrams of geoboards may be used to help capture a student's explanations of the concept they have discovered or illustrated on the geoboard.
Geoboards were invented and popularized by Egyptian mathematician Caleb Gattegno
Caleb Gattegno
Caleb Gattegno Alexandria, Egypt is best known for his innovative approaches to teaching and learning mathematics , foreign languages and reading...
in the 1950s.