+Geometry Project Ann Weir

Math 908

+Reasons for Project

Students struggle each year on the quadrilateral unit. So, I wanted to develop a plan for covering quadrilaterals that would be more engaging and successful.

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Assessing Why Students Struggle with the Current

Curriculum

+Lack of Prior Knowledge RecallI find that my students are unable to:

Give definitions of the quadrilaterals

Tell me the quadrilaterals’ properties

Draw examples of them

+The Textbook There is only one investigation on

quadrilaterals.

The book assumes that students already know the definitions of quadrilaterals and that they can draw examples of them.

Only a few constructions are scattered through in the entire book.

No summaries of what has been proven to reference.

Not enough practice problems.

+Memorization Lots of vocabulary to remember.

Students aren’t used to studying for math.

Students are not spending enough time memorizing the definitions, properties, postulates, and theorems.

Students still need to remember all of the postulates, theorems and definitions from prior units.

+Length of the Geometry Unit Students spend the majority of their

sophomore year working on geometry.

Many students get tired of doing proofs and memorizing vocabulary, postulates, theorems after the first couple months.

By the time we get to quadrilaterals they already have developed negative feelings towards geometry.

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The Plan

+ Start unit with an opening activity to assess students’ prior knowledge of quadrilaterals.

Create puzzles and activities that are fun to help with memorization.

Use protractors, rulers, crayons/colored pencils to motivate and help students create more accurate diagrams & examples during the investigations.

Create notes for students to reference what we have proven in class and to refresh on the prior knowledge they need to have for the investigations.

Find and make supplementary practice worksheets.

Create a project that is motivating for students and that helps them review what they have learned.

Spend more time on this unit.

+Opening Activity I gave my students graph paper, rulers, and

crayons/colored pencils.

Then asked them to draw a parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, kite, and trapezoid. I walked around the room to get an idea of how the students were doing.

Students put examples on the board.

We had a class discussion.

+ Memorization Created Crossword Puzzles

http://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/

+ Played Bingo

+Played Always Sometimes Never

+ Textbook

Discussed proofs as a class before attempting to write up two column-proofs.

Used scaffolding to help students gradually proceed to create their own two-column proofs.

Discussed that they were allowed to draw in a diagonal if they were given a parallelogram.

+ Had students use rulers, protractors, graph paper, and colored pencils when working on investigations that required them to investigate by making drawings.

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text book pics of problems

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+Supplementary Materials I created notes

and practice sheets

I found worksheets

& reference sheets.

Notes

+ Parallelogram Book Project I had my students make a Parallelogram Book,

to summarize what they had learned and to use as a resource to study for their exam.

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+What Seemed To Work Opening activity gave me a good idea of my students’

prior knowledge and helped students review the quadrilateral definitions. It also gave them a preview of having to draw the quadrilaterals.

Puzzles and games engaged students and helped them practice the vocabulary, definitions, and properties.

Working through the investigations using the materials I provided helped students be more successful and motivated.

Notes gave students an organized representation of everything they needed to know about quadrilaterals

Most students were motivated to create the books and did a really good job.

Spending more time on this unit proved to be beneficial.

+What to Adjust for Next Year Not every student did a good job on the books. Next

year, I want to come up with some more project ideas. Then students can pick which project they want to do.

Next time I will have the students work on the always, sometimes, or never game in groups. So, they can discuss the statements and not have to be worried about being the only one with the wrong answer.

Some students still could not remember all the postulates, theorems, definitions, and properties, even with all of the extra activities. I think for some students the review in class is still not enough for them so they need to review these outside of class, and are not doing so. Maybe I can find some review games to put on my website to help students study at home.