This week my 4th graders were finishing up their math unit in geometry. So, I decided to do a review of the vocabulary and concepts with Table Geometry. The day before the review, I baited my students by telling them there was going to be a surprise for them in the morning. When they came in the next morning, they were so excited.
I have a combo class, so even though this was 4th grade curriculum, I had my 5th graders participate because it was a good review for them too.
To set up the desks, you just need painter’s tape. I happen to have colored tape that I use for my books, so it was perfect for this activity too. When you lay the tape, make sure you have a set of parallel lines and a set of perpendicular lines. One thing I didn’t do, that I will do next time is put a line intercepting one of the perpendicular lines. The rest of the lines are random.
I created a simple sheet for directions and writing the following: lines, line segments, rays, acute angle, obtuse angles, right angles, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and supplementary angles. If I had put a tape through a 90 degree angle, I would have included complementary angles too.
Students worked in partners. They had the worksheet for recording, dry erase markers, dot stickers (for points and arrows), and a protractor. The students took about 30 minutes to complete the activity. The students really had a great time!
Here is an example of a finished product. I let the students keep the tape and labeling on the desks for a few days. The dots feel off fast and the dry erase pen rubbed off, but the kids did enjoy the geometric tape on the desks. If you have time, this was a fun and content filled lesson. I am really glad tried it!
