Students will apply geographic knowledge and geometric principles through a tour of famous architectural structures found around the world. Students will also use international landmarks to help identify geometric figures and shapes with the help of a green screen and video making tools.

• 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. Write a short selection for a geography slide show on noted geometric figures and geographic importance.
2. Independently label and identify various geometric shapes through geographic locations discussed in class.
3. Work in groups to investigate and describe various shapes in famous architectural work around the world.

Directions

You Lived in Sweden? Oh, You Must Have Enjoyed the Alps!

There is no question that we should be doing a better job with the teaching of geography. There are far too many educated adults that don't know the difference between Sweden and Switzerland, let alone the important monuments that stand for the culture and history of many countries around the world.  This lesson combines this needed deficiency in our academic diet, as well as tie in real-world geometric knowledge.

Step 1:  Ask students to think about the importance of geometry. Why is it taught? How is it used in the real-world? Have students turn to a partner for discussion before calling on individual students.

Step 2: Using the geometry through geography slideshow (PPT) present individual photos to the class, and start a discussion on the story behind the locations.  Why was it built? Who built it? How long has it been in existence? Not all examples are monuments, but all photos demonstrate several geometric principles taught in class.

Step 3: Ask students to probe each photo for examples of geometric shapes and principles taught in class. From isosceles triangles to congruent quadrilaterals, try to aid your students in incorporating geometry descriptions in a math journal.

Step 4: Inform your class that they will be creating a video (or PowerPoint) together as a class.  Tell them that you will do the final editing, but you need help with identifying shapes and creating a script dialogue. Let your students know scripts need to be relatively short, lasting ten seconds or less

Step 5: Break students up into groups of three or four.  Invite students to write a script with a struggling audience in mind.  Pass out the group work rubric (PDF) for the members of the team and go over guidelines.

Step 6: Delegate one volunteer from each group to come up and read their script to the class. Ask students for feedback or areas of confusion. Ask students to aid in identifying any other shapes missed by the team.

Step 7:

Option A: PowerPoint Slideshow — Complete an audio recording from one team member and place it with the corresponding picture in the slide show.

Option B: Movie — Have each student read the script out loud, with a green screen behind them.  If your time is limited, consider having a parent help complete the filming.  When filming is completed, export the image with U-Lead Studio to magically transport your students to exotic and historic places around the world. If you would like to learn more, visit my weekly blog for more detailed instructions in using a green screen in your classroom teaching. Many photos and detailed directions are provided, as well as an option to write me for any other questions you may have about the process.

Step 8:  Time for a tour around the world! Have a viewing party for your class and then open up viewings for other students at your school.  You can create a CD for parents and family or post it online for others to view.

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.

Total Books: 10

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

For most of this activity, students are working in small groups. If you have a student that prefers to work alone, allow some time to research a new location or time to complete an extension activity listed below.

Lesson Extensions

• Rotate digital cameras out to your students with the assignment of finding particular shapes around school. You can invite a parent into your room to aid with small group expeditions.
• Find accompanying international music for your slide show or movie. This can be played when students come in each morning for a geography reinforcer.

Home Connection

If you are planning on assessing students through this activity, consider posting or sending home the completed video/slideshow first. Let parents know that students will be using these structures to identify the shapes they have learned in class and invite them to use this resource as a study guide at home, if needed.

Assignments

• Students will turn in group work rubrics as well as a script with revision.
• Students will participate in a class video.

Evaluation

• Did students use specific geometric terminology? Example, triangle vs. scalene triangle.
• Did students miss any shapes in particular? If so, use this information to go back and use this as a re-teaching method.