Geometry

When reviewing data, geometry always stands out as a area of weakness for my school. The math group I teach has the most support and interventions of the three math classes. I team teach with the Title 1 math teacher which means the students get to stay and get support in the room! It's fantastic! Geometry is usually saved for the spring however, I decided to introduce it earlier in the year with the hopes of having enough time so I could do it justice. 

After reviewing the chapter and then beginning to work with students I have a much better understanding of why geometry is such a struggle. There is so much vocabulary to remember and students are being asked to identify, classify and sort shapes, lines etc. 

To help my students remember the terms to identify lines and angles I tried two kinesthetic approaches after we had learned the vocabulary from the book. The first method gets them using their hands and is borrowed from my FABULOUS partner teacher.  I ask them to make a point with their body by making a fist, they make a line segment by stretching their arms out straight and with their hands in fists and so on. We did this quite a few days for review and I would use it as their ticket to leave as a quick formative assessment.  

The second thing we tried was using tooth picks and mini marshmallows.  I had them write down the terms they are responsible for and then we made them together.

Each student got one of these cups with two toothpicks and five marshmallows.

I asked them to write the word and make it using their marshmallows and toothpicks. The first one was pretty easy :)

Many students were confused with the line. They stuck the marshmallows on the end and forgot to leave room at the end (otherwise it's a line segment) 

By the third or fourth term they really had the hang of it, however, the marshmallows started to get sticky :/

In the end they needed to make eight vocabulary terms (lines and angles) and after their figures were checked by a teacher they were allowed to eat their (sticky, yucky) marshmallows.

I leave you with two laughs.

#1

I guess this is what I get for buying Dollar Store 'pencils' (My smartypants Canadian friend told me that crayon is French for pencil, but I still get a chuckle out of this)

#2

How is that not professional development!!??!!  CEUs are in order :)