Shapemaster geometrical template, By Gordon Pemberton. Pack of 10 Pounds 9.95 plus VAT, from The Curriculum, Publishing Company, 61 High Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5DY
This is one of those lovely, simple ideas which make you ask “Why hasn’t anyone produced this before?” There are templates for drawing geometrical shapes already on the market, but they are of the cut-out variety, with only a few shapes available.
This new template, made from strong plastic, contains 35 small holes which can be used as the vertices of shapes. Each hole is numbered or lettered, and an accompanying booklet lists the holes which have to be used to produce the shapes. It is claimed that over 100 figures of different types and sizes can be produced.
It is also possible to draw circles and parallel lines with the template. The only drawback I found when using the template was that a very sharp pencil is needed to produce marks through the small holes in the plastic. And to be pedantic, the Pentagon is not, as the booklet claims, in Washington DC. A useful tool for the primary and lower secondary, at a reasonable price.
