to point out to the teacher that a square is a rectangle?

[GooseyLoosey]

Part of ds's homework was to draw on a grid 2 rectangles with a perimetre of 8cm. He drew a 3x1 oblong and a 2x2 square.

Aside from the fact these were the only possible shapes without using 1/2 squares, the teacher marked his homework as incorrect as a square was not a rectangle.

Ds (who is a perfectionist) read this and was not at all happy. He shouted "it is, I know it is, it is. Mummy, I'm right".

Would I be unreasonable to tell ds to ask the teacher why a square is not a rectangle? Or are we completely wrong and squares and rectangles are mutually exclusive?

(PS - I really don't expect teachers to always be right - God knows I am not but this teacher is the school's maths co-ordinator).

I'm really interested to know what's bigger than 999 with three digits! I'd be tempted to go back and tell her I've been planning on doing it to my HoY but not summoned the courage yet - not for telling me I got something wrong, she called me lazy and it turns out I'm dyslexic, an English teacher in the late 90s should be able to spot dyslexia!

I presume that teacher meant 3 different digits, so the answer would be 987

Three different digits would be 789??? I think, haven't got a calculator big enough to deal with it.

That is 7 to the power of 8 to the power of 9.

Writer - but that's not how the question was worded.
it's the teacher's fault if they want a specific answer, but didn't say that.

True nickel :)

baabaa - I think the OP said a few pages back that apparently the "correct" answer was 1x3 and 3x1. Quite understandably (and correctly) the OP's son said that this would be the same shape rotated and so he came up with 2 different sized rectangles.

Am looking forward to hearing what the teacher said Goosey!

Yes me too I really hope you'll update saying that the teacher apologised and praised your DS for being a smartypants :o

I am so feeling for the op and also love her a little bit.

I started a thread a week or so back about teachers getting things wrong and in my case my dd swearing teacher knew best. I prefer children who are like the ops ds and my ds1, much easier to teach in the long run surely.

Thanks grubbalo missed that bit, seems like a bit of a silly question for the teacher to have set IMO.

While technically you and your son are correct there are loads of concepts that we teach kids when they are younger to simplify stuff then teach them the other things later. For example rounding, we always tell kids to round up its only at a level that you round up and round down alternate numbers. So your teacher is probably teaching them the correct way for that key stage

"the correct way for that key stage"

ie the wrong way which will have to be retaught - doesn't make any sense

No she wanted any 3 digits . The answer was 999. She handed back the papers and asked who had got that easy question wrong. Of course I was the only person in the class. She felt it was entirely ok to subject me to class ridicule. I knew I was right cos I'd read it on my johnny ball book.

Even my scientific calculator can't handle the answer. ( and yes I did mean 9 to the power 9 to the power 9 but there's no superscript on this phone)

A square is a regular rectangle. I teach my Year 3 children this. A school maths coordinator should know it.

Maddy68 WHAT!
You mean that is why my GCSE science students can't round correctly, and get the science questions wrong, and I have to teach them the maths....?

Oops, missed the other 6 pages - think this may have been settled some time ago...

That's not how rounding is taught...

Your DS sounds fab and long my his interest in maths continue.
I teach 'on the job' at a mostly undergraduate level and whilst it feels uncomfortable at times, I love being asked difficult questions and hope I never become above learning from my students. I hope my DD's teachers feel the same, so sad to know that often they don't.

Ds1 was taught to round up for 5 and over and down for 4 and under which is what I was taught when I was at school. Please tell me I was taught the correct thing?

(Don't worry bronze, that is correct if you are rounding one place, otherwise it is 5 and over round up, up to (and not including) 5 round down.

"Seriously, a teacher would be annoyed that a child is interested and knows a bit beyond the curriculum"

Some don't appreciate questions asked around a subject either. I still remember being dragge out my seat in class. Teacher was telling us how much planets weigh. I asked how they weigh planets, hence the punishment. I was genuinely intereste btw not trying to be cheeky.

Letus know how you get on OP.

I just asked DH (PhD in Maths) whether a square is a rectangle and he just said 'Yes'. No long-winded explanation - just 'Yes'. So there you go - your DS is correct and the teacher is not.

Should have asked me xstitch. You might have got an answer...

I remember having ding dong arguments discussions with my physics teacher about how we know the structure of the Earth....

It didn't get me into any trouble whatsoever.

Nor do I mind having a similarly boshly and curious student asking me questions - I have promised to explain the Aurora Borealis to my year 8 class when we have a spare moment.

oooops
bolshy