Abstract
The concept of transformation has fundamentally reorganized the structure of school geometry in the last 30 years, changing the focus from studying the properties of static figures (e.g., congruence and similarity) to examining of the nature of mappings that relate figures and construct key geometric properties. This reorganization, like any fundamental change in the school mathematics, has led to changes and likely, some difficulties for teachers, mathematics supervisors and coordinators, and parents whose own geometry coursework made little to no mention of transformations. When confronted with views of geometric content structured by transformations (e.g., in mathematics textbooks), they could sensibly ask: "What's so important about transformations (since I did not learn about them), and how do they relate to the geometry that I know?" If such basic questions about the role of transformations in school geometry are likely, even for some teachers, an examination of how transformations, both distance-preserving and shape-preserving, are treated in the states' K-8 geometry and measurement content standards could be helpful, informative, and even instructive. This chapter explores that potential.
Original language | American English |
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Title of host publication | Variability is the Rule : A Companion Analysis of K-8 State Mathematics |
State | Published - 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
EGS Disciplines
- Mathematics