Geometry Practice:

Lesson Description:

Geometry Practice is a great way to reinforce the concepts taught in early geometry. In the activity the students use the computer graphics tools in Canvastic to create labeled examples of the geometric forms, angles, shapes etc. that they learn about in math class. It can be adapted to whatever concepts have been taught or need to be practiced. It can be a short one session activity or can span multiple pages and become a geometry notebook. It could be used as an assessment of that knowledge. Example below.

Implementation Steps:

Introduce the Object tools if necessary. Pay particular attention to the concept of editing with the Pointer tool and Choices palette as small adjustments to a geometric figure are helpful.

Have the students divide their canvas into an orderly array to separate their individual drawings. There are several organizing graphics available in the Canvastic backgrounds folder.

You may wish to use the grid display to aid the technical drawing. Under the View Menu, choose Grid > Grid Size and set it to 1 cm. Then choose Grid > Show Grid. The light blue grid will appear and be helpful for the activity but it will not print.

Have them draw the figures assigned and label them completely with names for the drawing and possibly labels for the parts as well. You can make the assignment as detailed as you wish.

Possible assignment drawings:

• angle
• acute angle
• obtuse angle
• right angle
• parts of an angle
• line
• line segment
• ray
• square
• rectangle
• cube
• ellipse
• circle
• sphere
• triangle
• right triangle
• equalateral triangle
• pentagon
• hexagon
• octagon
• cone
• cylinder

Preparation Notes:

Students will need a list of the geometric drawings you want them to complete.

Student Prerequisites:

Students should probably use the Object vs. the Paint tools for this activity. It can be done with the Paint tools but the objects will make a better project. So, if they haven't used them, the object tools should be introduced first.

Assessment:

Resources:

The Math Forum - Geometry - http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/sets/elem_geom.html

Example

Standards Addressed:

ISTE NETS Technology Standards: Grades 3-5 Performance indicator(s):

1. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively.

5. Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

ISTE NETS Technology Standards: Grades 6-8 Performance indicator(s):

5. Apply productivity/multimedia tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, group collaboration, and learning throughout the curriculum.

6. Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom.

NCTM - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - Standards::

Geometry Standard for Grades 3–5: Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems

• build and draw geometric objects;
• create and describe mental images of objects, patterns, and paths;
• identify and build a three-dimensional object from two-dimensional representations of that object;
• identify and draw a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object;
• use geometric models to solve problems in other areas of mathematics, such as number and measurement;
• recognize geometric ideas and relationships and apply them to other disciplines and to problems that arise in the classroom or in everyday life.

Geometry Standard for Grades 6-8: Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems

• draw geometric objects with specified properties, such as side lengths or angle measures;
• recognize and apply geometric ideas and relationships in areas outside the mathematics classroom, such as art, science, and everyday life.