Hands-On Geometry
with Henri Picciotto
Monday-Friday, July 20-24, 2020
1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), plus asynchronous collaboration time
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).
- "Homework" and asynchronous collaboration will extend the day's lessons, often including puzzles 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!