I am starting a unit on Geometry with my 4th graders. I am looking for some ideas for projects they can complete at home. Maybe some projects that include creating a building or drawing. Something to include angles, lines, shapes, etc. Thanks-

[istoleahalo]

We did one in 9th grade that you can probably simplify for your kids. We were given a compass, a ruler, a pencil, colored pencils, and paper. The directions were to draw the largest circle we could on the paper (she didn't tell us what size that would be), and we had to draw a design that has 4 lines of symmetry in every way (colors too) using only a compas and ruler. Perhaps you could make it so they only have to have one or two lines of symmetry.

If you have access to digital cameras, have your class hunt for plane shapes in the school, photograph them, and identify them. This can also work with line relationships...perpendicular lines in the corners and on cinder blocks and floor and ceiling tiles, parallel lines from the same places, and intersecting lines almost anywhere. Later you can add the three-D shapes to your display as well as angles found and identified.

[ejs]

I will just paste and copy this. This is an assignment I gave to my middle school students:

Geometry Map Project
Angles, Lines and Triangles


Your task is to design a map that includes several different kinds of lines, angles and triangles. Your map can be of a town, your neighborhood or a made up place. It must however include the following:

- Two sets of streets that are parallel
- Two sets of streets that are perpendicular
- One street that intersects another streets to form an obtuse angle
- One street intersects another to form an acute angle
- One street that is a line segment
- One street that is a line
- One street that is a ray
- An ice cream parlor in the shape of an equilateral triangle
- A Pool that is in the shape of a scalene triangle
- A Pizza Place in the shape of a Isosceles triangle
- Your map must also include a compass rose

Once your map is completed you are to write out five directions from one place to another. Each direction must have one of these terms: parallel, intersecting or perpendicular. These directions should be able to get your teacher and classmates from one place to another without getting lost!

[mathmom24]

Dear ejs,

I really like your geometry map idea. Thank you.

[dolmansaxlil]

Do you have a SmartBoard? I saw a great idea for geometry, but I'm not sure how you'd do it without one!

How about you do a Geometry Map where they name their city and stuff if you want to learn more ask me again with parallel lines and let them give their parallel streets a name!

I always use string art when teachingn acute, obtuse and rihght angles. Students use needle and tread. I also create 3 d shapes out of toothpicks and marshmellows. Marshmellows represent vertices, toothpicks represent edges, and open parts represent the faces.

Have fun!!

Take the students on a walk outside and inside the building...have them identify the different things that fall into certain categories..right angle- doorway, acute angle- ladder/slide etc....