Surds and Shapes

The resource is for KS4 students. This lesson prepares students for questions that combine knowledge of surds with the properties of shapes and using formulae. Sets of resources for two levels are included: Foundation and Higher.

The resource assumes that students know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide surds. However, knowledge of simplifying surds is checked at the start of the lesson.

In the first half of the lesson, students learn how to find and simplify expressions involving surds for the perimeter and area of shapes. In the second half of the lesson, students learn how to find a missing length in surd form from the area or perimeter of the shape and other dimensions. In both cases the questions are structured to start with easier examples and to end with harder examples.

A worksheet is included and the lesson presentation includes worked solutions of all questions.