Hands-On Geometry

When

The workshop will be offered twice, as part of online institutes for middle school math teachers. The institutes will each offer other workshops, all of which sound good! Participants will also get to participate in short sessions on assorted topics. Check with the host school for info about those, and for details about logistics and registration.

Atrium (July 20-24, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. EDT, plus asynchronous collaboration time)

Synapse (Saturdays, Sep 19-Oct 10, 10am-12pm PDT, plus informal sessions 1-3pm PDT)

What

For many students, just looking at geometric figures on a page does not provide sufficient understanding. In this workshop for teachers in grades 6-8, I will present kinesthetic and hands-on activities which are fun and engage students intellectually. They complement related work in paper-pencil environments and preview, review or extend foundational concepts, laying the groundwork for high school geometry.

• Topics include angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, area, the Pythagorean theorem, scaling, and tessellation.

• Tools include manipulatives (such as templates and pattern blocks), puzzles (such as tangrams and pentominoes), and a small amount of technology (GeoGebra).

• Asynchronous collaboration will extend the day's lessons with puzzles, reflection about teaching, and creative math-art challenges.

These lessons were developed for somewhat heterogeneous classes, and reach a wide range of students. They provide access by complementing the drawing and studying of figures, and enrichment by offering deep and challenging problems.

Participants will receive some manipulatives in the mail, and for some work we will be using online manipulatives.

Without the in-person time, this will be a different experience. But on the positive side, it will be less expensive, and you can attend from wherever you are!

More information about the workshop: GeoGebra Handouts Materials Resources Schedule Slides

I am happy to offer a workshop on Hands-On Geometry, or many other topics, to your school or district. Contact me.