Math Resources (Geometry)
Created by Stephanie Burke (Acadia University)
The following resources are books
about various geometry related concepts:
This resource is a book all about squares. Included in this
resource is everything the elementary school teacher needs to know about
squares. The pages provide colourful illustrations and easy to follow
directions to hands-on activities for students between the ages of 9 and 14.
Some of the topics that are included in this book are as follows: area of a
square, square numbers, prisms and anti-prisms, cubic architecture. This book
also includes a link to literature, for example children can learn about the
Delian cube legend. Also included in
this book is a glossary of terms, which is very helpful. This resource is
included because it gives the classroom teacher a solid base to begin a
geometry unit. It provides the classroom teacher with fresh ideas and a means
for understanding the concepts to introduce to the children. It also gives the
teacher a range of grade levels to choose from. The teacher can easily find
enrichment activities for students.
The next eight books are a series of
resources that cover the concepts of geometry in an organised, easy to
understand manner. This series of resources provides activities in the form of
puzzles, games and hands-on learning activities.
Title – Let’s Investigate Shapes
by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a
book all about shapes. Included in this resource are many ideas for teachers to
introduce the concept of shapes. The pages provide colourful illustrations and
easy to follow directions for activities, games, and puzzles. This book looks
at shapes from the perspective of the everyday world allowing children to
relate this math concept to their everyday lives. Some of the topics included
in this book are as follows: shapes from circles, shapes from straight lines,
polygons (names of polygons, regular polygons, convex polygons), and the
tangram. This book also includes a glossary of terms. This resource is included
because it gives the classroom teacher great ideas for getting the class
started on an introduction to shapes in geometry.
Title – Let’s Investigate
Quadrilaterals by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a book all about quadrilaterals. Included
in this resource are many ideas for teachers to introduce the concept of
quadrilaterals. Teachers and students will enjoy learning about the quadrilateral
through fun-filled hands-on activities, games, and puzzles. Some of the topics
included in this resource are as follows: parallel lines, angles in
quadrilaterals, tiling patterns with quadrilaterals, and folds, cuts and
quadrilaterals. This book also includes a glossary of terms related to
quadrilaterals. This resource is included because it gives the classroom
teacher a variety of activities to choose from related to the quadrilateral.
Title – Let’s Investigate
Triangles by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a book all about
triangles. Included in this resource are many ideas for teachers to introduce
the concept of triangles. Teachers and students can participate in a variety of
activities, games, and puzzles related to triangles. Some of the topics
included in this resource are as follows: naming triangles and angles, kinds of
triangles, degrees in a triangle, constructing triangles, right-angled
triangles, and congruent triangles. This book also includes a glossary of
terms. This resource is included because it provides the classroom teacher with
an assortment of options for teaching constructively the concept of triangles.
Title – Let’s Investigate Solids
by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a book all about
geometric solids. Included in this resource are many ideas for teachers to
introduce the concept of solids. Teachers and students will discover a wide
assortment of activities, games, and puzzles related to geometric solids. Some
of the topics included in this resource are as follows: faces, edges, and
vertices, cubes, nets, prisms, polyhedra, the sphere, and cross sections. This
book also contains a glossary of terms. This resource is included because it
provides the classroom teacher with a large selection of teaching tools and
diagrams related to geometric solids.
Title – Let’s Investigate Shape
Patterns by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a
book all about shape patterns in geometry. Included in this resource are many
ideas for teachers to introduce the concept of shape patterns. Many of the
activities in this book are in the form of games and puzzles, and hand-on
learning activities. Some of the topics included in this resource are as
follows: fun with grids, ways of making patterns, lines of symmetry, rotational
symmetry, reflections, and tessellations. This book also contains a glossary of
terms. This resource is included because it provides the classroom teachers
with many suggestions for introducing the student to the exciting world of
shape patterns.
Title – Let’s Investigate
Circles by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a
book all about circles in geometry. Included in this resource are many ideas
for teachers to introduce the concept of circles. Many of the activities in
this book are in the form of games and puzzles. The book also contains detailed
easy to follow instructions and a list of all the items the students need to
complete the activities. Some of the topics included in this resource are as
follows: parts of the circle, circle patterns, circles and symmetry, the Greeks
and the magic of Pi, and the area of a circle. This book also contains a
glossary of helpful terms. This resource is included because it provides the
classroom teacher with great activities and helpful hints for effective
teaching on the concept of circles.
Title – Let’s Investigate Angles
by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a
book all about angles. Included in this resource are many ideas for teachers to
introduce the concept of angles. Activities come in many interactive forms such
as games and puzzles that children can experiment with. Some of the topics in
this resource include the following: Making turns, lines and angles, measuring
degrees in angles, estimating angles, and calculating angles. This book has
brightly coloured illustrations and easy to follow instructions and diagrams
for both the teacher and student. This book also contains a glossary of helpful
terms. This resource is included because it provides the classroom teacher with
constructive and creative suggestions for teaching about the concept of angles.
Title – Let’s Investigate Area
and Volume by Marion Smoothey
This resource is a
book all about area and volume. Included in this resource are many ideas for
teachers to introduce the concept of area and volume. The activities in this
book are structured in any easy to learn, fun and creative format. Children and
teacher a like will learn about area and volume problem solving and hands-on
activities. Some of the topics included in this resource are as follows:
Comparing areas, same area/ different shape, calculating the area of
rectangles, parallelograms and triangles, calculating volume, and surface area.
This book also contains a glossary of terms. This resource is included because
it provides teachers with a solid basis to introduce the concepts of area and
volume.
Title – Geometry for Every Kid
by Janice VanCleave’s
This resource is a
book that contains many concept areas in geometry for the classroom teacher.
All of the activities in this book are divided into a purpose; list of
materials, and easy to follow instructions, as well as, suggested results in
terms children can understand. This resource contains the following topics:
identifying lines, segments and rays, measuring angles of straight-sided
figures, identifying intersecting, parallel, and perpendicular lines,
identifying quadrilaterals, determine different ways polygons can fit together,
and much more. This resource has a wonderful glossary of terms about geometry.
This resource is included because it provides teachers with a wide variety of
concepts within one resource about geometry.
The following resources are websites on various
concepts in geometry:
http://forum.swathmore.edu/students/elem/probs.html and http://forum.swarthmore.edu/library/topics/geometry/
These two websites
are an excellent resource for the elementary school teacher and students.
Teachers and students will find an interactive Internet library that allows the
user to find specific information about any topic related to mathematics and
specifically geometry. This website also includes problems and puzzles for
elementary students between the grade levels Prek-2 and 3-5. The user can search the Internet library by
activity, topic, and grade level. Some of the specific concepts about geometry
include affined, algebraic, analytical, computational, convex, discrete,
differential, Euclidean, and transformational geometry.
http://www.olemiss.edu/mathed/survey.htm
This is a useful
web site for both students and teachers. When a student visits this website,
they have the opportunity to express what they know about the topic of geometry
in the form of a survey. Students will be asked what they think geometry is,
why they study geometry in school, and what they can do with geometry in real
life.
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Geom/his.html
This website is an
excellent resource as a literature link for geometry. Teachers and students
will discover information about the history of geometry from the Egyptians,
Babylonians, and Greeks. The user will also discover interesting links about
hidden polygons, school-bus geometry, volume, and NCTM Standards. This website
offers an alternative to the problem solving aspect of geometry.
References
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s
Investigate Circles. Marshall Cavendish Corporation,
New York (found at Sackville Public
Library, call number J 516.184)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Shape Patterns.
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at Sackville Public Library, call number J
516.15)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Solids.
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at Sackville Public
Library, call J 516.23)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Quadrilaterals. Marshall
Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at Sackville Public
Library, call J 516.15)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Shapes.
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at the Sackville
Public Library, call J 516.15)
Smoothey, M (1993) Let’s Investigate Triangles.
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at the Sackville
Public Library, call J 516.22)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Area and Volume.
Marshall Cavendish
New York (found at the Sackville
Public Library, call number J 516.23)
Smoothey, M. (1993) Let’s Investigate Angles. Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York (found at the Sackville
Public Library, call number J 516.13)
Sheldrick Ross, C.
(1996) Squares in Math, Science, and Nature. Kids Can Press Ltd.
Toronto, Canada (found at the
Sackville Public Library, J 516.13)
VanCleave, J. (1994) Geometry for Kids. John Wiley
& Sons Inc New
York (found in the Sackville Public
Library, J 516)