• Identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two-and three-dimensional shapes and develop vocabulary to describe the attributes.
• Classify two- and three- dimensional shapes according to their properties and develop definitions of classes of shapes such as triangles and pyramids.
• Investigate, describe, and reason about the results of subdividing, and transforming shapes.
• Explore congruence and similarity.

Students will:

1. Demonstrate their knowledge of angles, quadrilaterals, transformations, and parallel/perpendicular lines through body movement and song.
2. Learn geometric principles through a multiple intelligence approach.
3. Use movement to demonstrate knowledge of geometric principles.

Directions

Let There Be Music!

Step 1: Download and print out geometry lyrics (PDF) and have geometry cards ready to show to the class. The song lyrics provided are sung to well-known tunes, but I encourage you to support and purchase Rockin' the Standard's CD for your classroom instruction.

Step 2: Types of Angles — Model and sing the angles song. Gather students to your meeting area and use your hands to demonstrate the angles throughout the song. Have the class incorporate some moves into the dance to complete the fun. Click here (angles.wmv attachment) for a video demonstration from our class.

Step 3: Parallel, Perpendicular, and Intersecting Lines — You can use the geometry lyrics provided or Scholastic's Study Jam karaoke song on the same topic (a free trial is available). Again, have your students jam to the music by crossing arms, raising both arms vertically, and making a "T" with both arms.

Step 4: Isosceles, Scalene, and Equilateral Triangles — You will want to introduce congruency to your students before learning the triangle song. For a visual effect, I recommend using the math cards discussed. You can also create a note version edition for your student's math journal for easy reference.

Step 5:  Quadrilaterals — For this activity you will need to use butcher paper to draw out 5 types of quadrilaterals: square, rectangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, and rhombus.  Pass one out to five volunteers and proceed to dance away with as much body incorporation as possible utilizing the geometry lyrics provided. Allow students to move freely during the main chorus portions of the quadrilateral song. You just might find yourself laughing and dancing along with the class.

Step 6: Reflection, Rotation, Translation — There are a couple of chants and videos on teachertube.com, but creating simple movements with your hands is a quick and easy method to help support the concept.  Here are the movements we used in class:

• Reflection — We started with closed hands and opened them up.
• Rotation — We grabbed one wrist, created a closed fist with the available hand, and moved our closed fist in a wide circle.
• Translation — We held one arm up in a vertical line, placing one hand on top of the other.  Students then slid the hand down the arm towards the elbow.

Step 7: Let's Play "Geo Says" — Begin with a simple game of "Geo Says." To play this game, you will need to show a visual representation of the various geometry terms learned in class. For example, a ray can be demonstrated with one arm out, fingers spread open. We use Simon Says principles to show the following: acute angle, right angle, obtuse angle, line segment, point, ray, rotation, translation, reflection, parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular lines. Continue until you declare the geometry winner. Need a visual?  I have included a video clip of our class here (simon.wmv attachment).

BOOKLIST
Introduction: As teachers, we don't have much free time in our classroom. Here are some books that help us work smarter, not harder. They combine the mathematical concepts under geometry into a read-aloud for your class. Also included are two yoga deck sets to incorporate health and movement.

Total Books: 12

The Kids' Yoga Deck: 50 Poses and Games by Annie Buckley
Book Descriptions: A set of 50 poses on sturdy stock paper. The figures are unisex figures.
Classroom Tips: You can use these cards for assessing geometry shapes and angles.

Yoga Pretzels: 50 Fun Yoga Activities For Kids & Grownups (Yoga Cards) (Cards) by Tara Guber
Book Descriptions: Another set of 50 poses. The difference between Annie Buckley’s book and this one are larger deck cards and photographs of children demonstrating the positions.
Classroom Tips: Give a set to your physical education teacher and ask them to use geometry terminology when using it for warm-up.

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Book Descriptions: Eratosthenes became the chief librarian at the renowned Alexandria Library. His best-known discovery was to determine the circumference of Earth using simple geometry and shadows cast by the sun at noon on June 21. The book includes an addendum that gives a summary of important discoveries throughout time, many of which use Eratosthenes' work as their basis.
Classroom Tips: Integrate this into your reading workshop block.

Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert
Book Descriptions: Grandfather Tang tells a story about fox fairies from Chinese folklore who use geometry and magical powers to alternately change into predator and prey in a shape changing game. As he tells the story, he makes the animal shapes with tangrams. The illustrations have an oriental brushwork appearance and include both the animal and the tangram representation of the animal so students can create the changes with their tangram sets.
Classroom Tips: Can be paired up with The Warlord's Puzzle by Virginia Pilegard

The Warlord's Puzzle by Virginia Pilegard
Book Descriptions: In ancient China, an artist hopes to avoid punishment for breaking a beautiful blue tile into seven piece by suggesting that the Chinese warlord hold a contest to see if anyone can put it back together. A poor fisherman's boy quietly plays with the geometric shapes and solves the tangram puzzle. A tangram template is provided making this useful in introducing geometric concepts.
Classroom Tips: Can be paired up with Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert.

A Cloak for the Dreamer by Aileen Friedman
Book Descriptions: A tailor asks his three sons to make colorful cloaks from small pieces of cloth sewn together. The older sons use square and triangular pieces and make fine cloaks. But the youngest son chooses circles and his cloak will not keep out the wind. The father uses geometry to solve the problem cleverly. This story fits with a unit on tessellations or a unit on shapes within shapes.

Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet by Ann Whitford Paul
Book Descriptions: Each letter of the alphabet is presented with a traditional quilt pattern and a brief history of the design. The full-color illustrations provide a great springboard for exploring the shapes and their geometric properties such as congruence, similarity, and symmetry.

Fraction Action by Loreen Leedy
Book Descriptions: Miss Prime and her students explore fractions by finding many examples in the world around them. In the process they divide geometric shapes into fractions, divide sets of objects into equal parts, cut fruit into equal shares, and divide a dollar into fractions. The bright illustrations help to clarify the concepts.

Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons by David Adler
Book Descriptions: Various polygons including triangles, quadrilaterals, rhombuses, and dodecagons are introduced and illustrated by comparing them to common foods such as pretzels, slices of cheese, and bread. It can serve as a hands-on guide to constructing patterns. Bright cartoonlike illustrations highlight the text.
Classroom Tips: Integrate this into your reading workshop block.

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi: A Math Adventure by Cindy Neuschwander
Book Descriptions: Sir Cumference's son, Prince Radius, is sent on a quest to find his grandfather who has been turned into a dragon. The prince uses the magical number of pi to restore the man to his regular shape. Mathematical terms and concepts are used to tell the story. See other books in this series.
Classroom Tips: Integrate this into your reading workshop block.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander
Book Descriptions: In Camelot, Sir Cumference and Lady Di design the perfect round table with the assistance of carpenters and geometric solutions. This is a humorous look at the Middle Ages replete with mathematical puns and factual relationships among diameter, circumference, and pi. See other books in this series.
Classroom Tips: Integrate this into your reading workshop block.

Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland by Cindy Neuschwander
Book Descriptions: Prince Radius is on a quest to earn his knighthood and must rescue a lost king. His parents give him a circular medallion that helps him to measure and examine every angle as he finds his way through a maze. He is able to complete his quest thanks to geometry. See other books in this series.
Classroom Tips: Integrate this into your reading workshop block.

Supporting All Learners

Learning geometry through a hands-on approach of music and dance will aid most of your students in learning the content. By providing a variety of ways to teach and incorporate geometry, you will reach every student in your classroom. Pairing this with the other traditional methods used to teach geometry will ensure academic success for all!

Correlating Standards:

1. Identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two-and three-dimensional shapes and develop vocabulary to describe the attributes.
2. Classify two- and three- dimensional shapes according to their properties and develop definitions of classes of shapes such as triangles and pyramids.
3. Investigate, describe, and reason about the results of subdividing, and transforming shapes.
4. Explore congruence and similarity.

Lesson Extensions

• Create a "geo-me-tree" by using brown butcher paper and displaying math cards for the concepts learned in class.
• Using tape or chalk (if outside) have students create a dance incorporating geometric moves.
• Visit rockinthestandards.com site to see their recommendations. The band members are classroom teachers just like you and me!
• Visit sites like Scholastic's Study Jams as well as teachertube.com.

Home Connection

This would be an excellent home and school connection as parents appreciate helping their child with resources other than a textbook and worksheets. Inform parents that your geometry unit is about to begin and ask them to help by providing time to practice the lyrics and movements with their child. Parents and students should have a fun time with this assignment as well.

Assignments

• Math journal notes
• Traditional paper and pencil assignments

Evaluation

• Are students actively engaged through song and movement? If not, could it be a result of their learning style?
• Try the songs without the lyrics present. Can the students sing along?
• Try the songs without your modeling body movement. Which students seem to be struggling?
• Can students apply concepts learned through traditional paper and pencil methods?