Geometric Park
By Jeffrey Brown, February 27, 2017
Grade Level
- Middle School
Category
- City of Neighborhoods
Subject Area
- Mathematics
Lesson Time
300 minutes for classroom activities.
Introduction
The students will be tasked with designing a youth-oriented park that incorporates geometric concepts. Their design must focus on at least 4 components for the park using geometric concepts such as: types of lines and polygons, symmetry, and transformation in the design.
National Standards
Common Core State Standards
8.G.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations:
- Lines are taken to lines, and line segments to line segments of the same length.
- Angles are taken to angles of the same measure.
- Parallel lines are taken to parallel lines.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Know and understand the different steps of the design process.
- Identify lines, angles, polygons, and triangles as they occur in the real world.
- Measure interior angles of a polygon.
- Use the formula to find the sum of the interior angles of a polygon.
- Identify parallel, perpendicular, intersecting, and skew lines.
- Complete designs using line and rotational symmetry.
- Identify and perform transformations using geometric figures.
- Predict the results of transformations.
- Work in small groups to complete a park design.
Resources
Isometric Drawing Tool – http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=125
Sums of Interior Angles – http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=9
Line Symmetry – http://www.linkslearning.org/Kids/1_Math/2_Illustrated_Lessons/4_Line_Symmetry/index.html
Symmetry–http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/maths/greg_morgan_symmetry/index.htm
Investigating Patterns: Symmetry and Tessellations – http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/jbsymteslk.htm
Transformations
http://205.200.127.11/DEMO/tutorials/files/ss01transformations.swf
http://school.eb.com/lm/manipulatives/enu/workspaces/transformations_isometry/product.html
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_3_t_3.html
Drawing Tool
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=35
Materials
- Poster Paper
- Measuring tools (protractors, rulers, etc.)
- Drawing tools (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.)
- Chart Paper and Drawing paper
- Scissors
- Construction paper
- Computer Lab
Vocabulary
- Symmetry- the quality of something that has two sides or halves that are the same or very close in size, shape, and position.
- Transformations- a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc.
- Parallel- extending in the same direction, everywhere equidistant, and not meeting.
- Perpendicular- going straight up or to the side at a 90 degree angle from another line or surface.
- Intersecting- to meet and cross at one or more points.
Procedures
- The characteristics of lines, angles, polygons, and triangles.
Assessment
See Attached Rubric.
Enrichment Extension Activities
The activity could focus on National Parks and how they would improve upon them.