Task Instructions

This is a true low floor – high ceiling task. The question posed is, “What is the biggest fence that can be made out of 36 pieces of fence?”. The fences can be any length eg 1 meter or 1 yard. The class can decide together whether they will include irregular shapes, this is a mathematical act – working out what assumptions will be made. The task can be approached in many different ways. Some students may use grid paper and model with snap cubes or rods to approximate the greatest area. Others may construct models using dynamic geometric software and apply trigonometry. This will give students an opportunity to problem solve, drawing on different areas of mathematics.