Fun and Games in Geometry!

(that you can do on a shoestring budget!)

ESA SymposiumJune 2011

Cindy KroonMontrose High School

cindy.kroon@k12.sd.us

Polygons with String!

•To review names and properties of polygons•Divide students into groups of 4 or 5.•Give each group a 7-8 foot length of string, tied into a circle•Instruct the students to form polygons.•Be sure to include some “impossible polygons.”

Angles with Plates•Use 2 or 3 different colored plastic dessert plates for each unit.•Cut a slit from center to edge (along the radius) of 2 plates.•Overlap the plates at the slits.•Have students demonstrate angles that you designate.•Add a third plate. You can now form combination angle pairs!

Geometry Pictionary

(2 teams, 2-4 players per team) Use to review geometry terms and vocabulary.

  Object of the game: Be the first person to correctly

identify a secret geometry symbol, term, or definition.

Each “drawer” tries to get his/her teammates to identify the secret geometry term or definition within a one minute time limit.

You may not use any symbols, letters, or numbers. You may draw and gesture, no speaking. The first team to correctly identify the term scores

one point. If neither team identifies the term before time

expires, the drawers reveal it, then rotate drawers and continue with a different term.

In the case of a tie, a rematch is played with a new term.

The role of drawer rotates among team members after each term.

Geometry OrigamiVocabulary:

SquareSegmentPointParallelMidpointDiagonal

Roll two dice. These are the legs of a right triangle.

Compute the length of the hypotenuse. Round to one digit and move that many spaces on the game board.

Spaces with ?? require a player to answer a question from the ?? cards. If answer is correct, player rolls one die for a bonus roll. If incorrect, player’s turn is over.

Upon reaching the “finish” space, a player must correctly answer a ?? card to win the game.

Triangle Puzzles

Area TilesSome students memorize formulasThey don’t own the concept (even in high

school)They think they know, but they don’tHow can we help them?

Circle Formulas(Are You Sleeping?)

A equals Pi R2 Area, AreaC equals Pi times diameter, Circumference, Circumference!

Slope(Turkey in the Straw)

Slope is rise over run as we all know.With the Y’s on the top and the X’s below.Subtract the terms to get it right. Simplify last for a wonderful sight.(Chorus)Rise over run, Y’s over X.Rise over run, Y’s over X.Subtract the terms to get it right.Simplify last for a wonderful sight! (repeat)

Quadrilateral Dominoes2-3 players: Reviews properties of quadrilateralsObject of the game: be the first to play all of your tiles. •Students shuffle dominoes face-down.•Each student draws 5 tiles. The remaining tiles form the “boneyard.”•Place one tile face-up on the table.•Player #1 plays a tile from his hand that matches either end of the face-up tile. If unable to play, he must draw one tile from the boneyard. •If this tile is playable, he may play it. Otherwise play passes to the next player.•Play alternates until one player is out of tiles, or play is blocked.

Y = mx + b(YMCA) Students, we need to graph a straight line.I said, students, we will have a great time.I said, students there’s no reason to whine.There’s no need to be unhappy… It’s fun to graph y = mx + by = mx+ bIt makes a straight line and it’ll be fineYou can even find the slo-ope!(repeat)

Mono- -ly•The student whose birthday is closest to Pi Day (3/14) plays first. After that, play passes to the left.•Roll two dice. The sum of these two numbers is the circumference of a circle. Calculate the diameter of the circle. (Use 3.14 for pi.)•If your answer is correct, round to the nearest unit and move that many spaces. If incorrect, you lose your turn.•Follow the directions on the space that you land on. More than one player can occupy a space at the same time.•If you land on a space with a ?, you must answer a question card. If correct, roll one die and advance that many spaces. If incorrect, stay on the ? Space. Your turn is over.•Answer a question on the finish line to win!