Geometry is one of those wonderful math subjects that can be so much fun to teach!! It lends itself to engaging HANDS-ON and UP-AND-OUT-OF-YOUR-SEAT lessons!! These are some of my favorite lessons for teaching geometry!!
Picture Books
In my classroom, everything starts with picture books!! Mentor texts are a great way to connect students to content and to help provide background knowledge. Mentor texts in math are no different. I love to read these books throughout our unit when introducing different concepts.
Click on the pics and affiliate links to learn more about some of my favorites…
In my class, I like to have students use the Wikki Stix to form different geometric figures, including lines, angles, and shapes. The following activity is great for introducing or reviewing geometric figures. I like to keep these activities is sheet protectors, which the Wikki Stix easily stick to, and so that these can be used year after year!
We also like to take it a step further by using them to form and measure angles. In the activity below, students use the Wikki Stix and a protractor to form given angles. Then they get the chance to form and measure some angles of their own.
Wikki Stix can be found on Amazon. You can buy them in large packs or in individual packs. The individual packs are nice, since they are presorted and easy to pass out to students.
Click the pics and affiliate links to learn more…
This activity is for your kinesthetic learners. We play a game of Simon Says, in which students need to use their hands and arms to form different geometric figures. I use this activity to introduce or review types of lines, angles, and more. When forming lines and segments, students use an open, pointed hand to represent an arrow, and a closed fist to represent a point. They have tons of fun with this one!!!
Shape Search {A Digital Scavenger Hunt}
To integrate a bit of technology, I send students on a PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT. In groups they are given a checklist with clues to represent different shapes. They need to use the clues to find and snap pictures of shapes that they find throughout our classroom and school. I love the team work involved in deciphering the clues and finding real-life examples of the different shapes.
Click the pic below to download this FREEBIE!!
No Technology, No Problem!! If your students don’t have devices to snap pictures, you can always have them draw pictures of the real-life examples that they find!!
As you can see, geometry can be tons of fun!! I am always on the lookout for new ways to bring geometry to life for my students!! If you have any ideas to share, I would love for you to leave them in the comments!!