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The aim of this study is to identify the potential learning opportunities provided by ancient china’s geometric diagram introduced by Liu Hui into student task in learning Pythagorean theorem. We investigate the role of history-based task, from Nine Chapter, in supporting students’ mathematics literacy and geometrical reasoning. Design research was chosen as method to reach the purpose. Our discussion is limited only from a part of one phase, namely pilot experiment, from three main phase of design research. This research was conducted at three different Junior High schools in Indonesia. The instructional activities were designed based on history-based problem solving. The analysis was focused on students’ learning process, and specifically, the results of their visual reasoning and mathematical literacy. Result indicated that the use of figures or diagrams, with written information act as a support for performing algebraic calculations for students which are unfamiliar by means of symbol or algebraic operation. In this way, by using geometric manipulation, a new figure is arrived at on which the solution can now be read easier. Furthermore, by using history-based context, students got more opportunities to improve their performance in mathematics literacy by formulating various contextual mathematics problem, sourced from history, into mathematical form.

History-based task; Pythagoras; Ancient China; Design Research; Mathematics Literacy