Teacher Resources for Instructional Planning


Grade 4, Math Std 11: Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, or octagons based on the number of sides, angles, and vertices. Demonstrating slides (translations), flips (reflections), and turns (rotations) using triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, or octagons. Drawing lines of symmetry in triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, or octagons

Lesson Plans: Bird's Eye View Identify geometric shapes in a cityscape I Spy Something Symmetrical Students will reviews lines of symmetry and demonstrates that some figures have more than one line of symmetry. Exploring Geometric Relationship Students will view a PowerPoint presentation that teaches parallel and perpendicular lines, symmetry, and congruency. Navigating Paths and Mazes The interactive activity allows students to design a "virtual path" that will enable a ladybug to reach its hiding place under a leaf. The Greedy Triangle Students will listen to The Greedy Triangle and use geoboards to create various polygons. Students will also make shapes out of construction paper to form a "shape garden" bulletin board. Plotting Coordinates on a Geoboard Students learn how to plot coordinates on a geoboard to find hidden figures. Describe the Shape Students will learn to identify a square, triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, and hexagon. Line Symmetry Students will learn to show line symmetry using pattern blocks. Investigating the Concept Triangle and the Properties of Polygon Students identify simple geometric shapes, describe their properties, and develop spatial sense using interactive geoboards. Ovals, Rectangles, Squares, and Triangles Students will identify geometrical shapes displayed in photographs of everyday objects in a metropolitan setting. Grandfather Tang's Story Students will recognize, describe, and perform transformations (rotation/turn, reflection/flip, and translation/slide) on two dimensional shapes. The Greedy Triangle Students will review angles, sides, and properties of basic shapes. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table Students will analyze characteristics of various 2 dimensional shapes and explore their properties and use various vocabulary terms to discuss geometric relationships. Geometric Scavenger Hunt Students will hunt for and identify plane shapes. This lesson includes a technology component using Excel. Symmetrical Snowflakes Students will use pattern blocks to create snowflakes with at least one line of symmetry. Symmetry Activity Students will be able to define symmetry and give examples of objects having this property. Students will create a display using only symmetric objects. Picture This! Students create a geometric picture and e-mail the description to key pals who then try to draw the picture based on the written description. Developed for middle school, this lesson can easily be adapted for upper elementary. Geometry for the Middle Grades A hands-on, multiple intelligence, geometry unit for students with 21 activities. This unit was developed for middle school but most of the activities are appropriate for upper elementary. Flying Into Spring Students use measurement and geometry to design a kite for spring. Third Grade Shapes Up! (Scroll down to Mathematics → Geometry → Third Grade Shapes Up!) This unit contains 8 lessons that focus on geometric shapes and figures. Students will observe geometric shapes in their environment and be exposed to hands-on activities to enhance their understanding of geometry. Although designed for third grade, this activity is also appropriate for upper elementary grades. Obtuse Angles Students will create polygons with various angles and call by name the following geometric shapes: triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, nonagon, and decagon. Includes two PowerPoints. Triangles The students will recognize, make, and draw geometric shapes with acute angles on geoboards and on geopaper. Includes three PowerPoints.

Resources: Designer Fractions - Symmetry Students will investigate line symmetry. Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Half Students will practice ways of making one-half. Symmetrizer Dueling Pinwheels Students use Sketchpad to manipulate transformation, rotations, and reflections. Tessellate! Interactive activity with tessellations. Creating Polygons Investigating the Concept of Triangle and Properties of Polygons The Geometry of Structures Eight hands-on experiments that explore geometrical aspects of structures. Tangram Game Create a shape using tangram pieces and rotation. No Matter What Shape Your Fractions are In Experiment with online shapes and answer questions about fractions. Tangrams and Geometry Introduce students to tangrams by explaining the Ancient Chinese puzzle, and its history in the Chinese culture. A Maths Dictionary for Kids by Jenny Eather The Maths Dictionary is animated, interactive, and allows students to practice their math skills. Over 500 terms are explained in simple language. Click on "billion" and discover that you have 10 billion brain cells working for you right now. Roll your mouse over the world time zone chart and you instantly know the time for that part of the world. Every math teacher should bookmark this Web site. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives Virtual manipulatives related to NCTM standards in the areas of Number & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis & Probability. To access tools, click inside the grid on the cell that matches the grade level and standards area desired. Figure This! From NCTM: Three to four math challenges using real world examples are posted here each month. For those who need help solving the challenge, there are hints and complete solutions, along with related problems. Making Triangles: Investigating the Concept of Triangle and the Properties of Polygons This two-part example describes activities that use interactive geoboards to help students identify simple geometric shapes, describe their properties, and develop spatial sense. Part one focuses on triangles. Part two focuses on polygons. Geometric Terms Great source for geometric vocabulary, including term, definition, and example of shape. Vortex! Click on the correct shape to score a point. Tangram Puzzles Place the puzzle shapes into the outlines to create ancient patterns called tangrams. Travel from level to level to solve all the puzzles.
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