Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 8
Checking compass skills
I can confidently use a pair of compasses to draw circles and arcs.
- Year 8
Checking compass skills
I can confidently use a pair of compasses to draw circles and arcs.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A pair of compasses can be used to draw any circle.
- A pair of compasses can be used to draw circle with a particular radius.
- A pair of compasses can be used to draw part of a circle.
Keywords
Pair of compasses - A pair of compasses is a tool which can be used to draw circles and arcs. A pair of compasses is sometimes referred to just as a compass.
Common misconception
When drawing circles, pupils may find that the start and end of their arcs do not join together.
This can be caused by the pair of compasses opening or closing mid-drawing. Hold it with one hand and rest the pencil gently on the page.
To help you plan your year 8 maths lesson on: Checking compass skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 maths lesson on: Checking compass skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 maths lessons from the Constructions unit, dive into the full secondary maths curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A is a shape such that every point on the circumference is equidistant to its centre.
Q2.Which is the definition of a radius?
Q3.In which image is the circumference labelled with a question mark?



Q4.The ruler measures in cm. How long is the radius of the circle?

Q5.Which shapes can not be a circle?




Q6.The diameter of a circle is 12 cm. Its radius is cm.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The image shows a pencil inside a pair of .

Q2.When drawing a circle with a pair of compasses, where is the needle once the circle is complete?
Q3.An of a circle is part of the circle’s circumference.
Q4.Which one of these images is not a correct way to hold a pair of compasses while drawing a circle or arc?



Q5.Which part of a circle can be drawn by using a pair of compasses and rotating the pencil around the needle?
Q6.Aisha is about to use the pair of compasses to draw a circle. Which statement will be true, once it is drawn?
