This is a Level 3 Geometry activity from the Figure It Out Series.
A PDF of the student activity is included.
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- Enlarge a figure to a given scale.
- Square grid paper
- pens or pencils
- FIO, Level 3, Geometry, The Big Picture, page 23
An enlargement maps a shape onto a similar shape, using a scale factor. For example, if the enlargement is to be double the size of the original picture, the scale factor is two. The enlarged picture has the same proportions as the original.
This activity uses the grid method of enlargement. To produce a design that is twice the size, students will need to use 2-centimetre-square grid paper. (The grid paper in the illustration is 1 centimetre square). Students then need to copy the lines inside each 1 centimetre square onto the 2-centimetre square grid. If students have drawn a grid in pencil instead of using square grid paper, they can rub it out to leave just the enlarged design. You could also refer to “How Do You Measure a Dinosaur?” in Connected 1, 1998.
Answers to Activity
1.–2. Practical activities