This is a super easy, super fun activity where students discover the interior angle measurements of different polygons. I start with the triangle (see photo) and then have them work in groups to prove other interior angle measurements. Collaboration and communication in the math classroom is so important and this is an easy way to do it. Teams can then do a 1-2 minute presentation which helps develop their public speaking skills. CCSS: 4.MD.5; 4.MD.5; 4.MD.7
I love M.C. Escher! I have a whole book on his work and love to share it with my students when we’re studying angle measurement. That’s because we’re going to tie math and art together through modifying polygons similar to how M.C. Escher did it in some of his paintings. It’s all about tessellating shapes and angles. Using pattern blocks, I show students how shapes tessellate. See photo below. Then, I have students determine the angle measurement of each of…
This is a super easy, super fun activity to tie art in with bilateral (mirror) symmetry. These are some samples of third and fourth grade work. CCSS: 4.G.3
Crossword puzzles are symmetrical?! That’s usually the response I get after students have been given a chance to look through blank crossword puzzles I’ve cut from the paper. Then I show them how all crosswords are designed with 180-degree rotational symmetry. Starting with 90-degree rotational symmetry, we rotate an object 1/4 the way around the circle. See photo below. Then we rotate an additional 90 degrees so that we end up with a turn of 180-degrees. (We’ve done work in…
Meaningful math with a purpose! This great hands-on lesson gets students doing math while designing targets. Students become comfortable using the area formula for circles. And the best part is, their targets are set up and used during the school’s fall carnival. Watch the video below for the entire lesson plan. CCSS: 7.G.4 TEKS: 6th grade 6C, 8A, 8B Link to video. .