#MondayMaths and secret surveillance

In our weekly #MondayMaths puzzle, we’re asking you to detect the effectiveness of Lisa’s security cameras in her rather peculiar-shaped underground facility. Who knows what she’s hiding down there?

Do now!

This puzzle could be tackled with secondary students while learning about mapping projections, but it would also be a great Do Now task at the beginning of a Year 5 or 6 lesson, when they look at angles this term.

With the help of a ruler or a protractor, ask your class to experiment with where the cameras could be positioned and which part of the shape would be covered.

Encourage them to try lots of different options and discuss these ideas with a partner. This type of puzzle develops pupils’ reasoning skills and confidence with how to approach a holistic problem. If anyone’s stuck with where to start, prompt them with a few questions…

• Are the cameras best fitted against the wall?
• Would they be more effective in the corners?
• Where can you place the camera to get maximum field of vision – and why?

Depth is the key

It’s really important to help students deepen and consolidate their understanding of mathematical concepts, and so here are a few handy ideas for adding depth to this task.

• How many cameras would you need if each one only had a 90° field of vision?
• There can’t be any parts of the shape covered by 2 or more cameras – is this possible?
• Design an underground space which needs 3 cameras to monitor the entire area

You can discover the answer this Thursday on Twitter – happy solving!