Geometry+and+Measurement

Four-In-a-Row Four In A Row- Difficult level: Medium, this game is easily adaptable to any grade level, or difficulty level.
 * __Geometry and Measurement__**

The purpose of this game is to increase the students knowledge of geometrical shapes and their attributes. Engaging students in mathematics can be difficult at times, by having a game that requires participation and interaction between the teacher and the students you have the ability to keep the students' attention and/or focus. The student will subsequently have a concrete understanding of the mathematical concept while participating in a fun activity. The learning objective of the game is to review and reinforce previous knowledge of geometrical shapes and their attributes. The corresponding EALR and GLE's are listed.
 * __Game Overview:__**
 * __Learning Objectives: __**

EALR's: 1: The student understands and applies the concepts and procedures of mathematics. 2: The student uses mathematics to define and solve problem. 3: The student uses mathematical reasoning. 4: The student communicates knowledge and understanding in both everyday and mathematical language.

GLE's: 7.6A Analyze a problem situation to determine the question(s) to be answered. 7.6B Identify relevant, missing, and extraneous information related to the solution to a problem. 7.6D Represents a problem situation, describe the process used to solve the problem, and verify the reasonableness of the solution. 7.6E Communicate the answer(s) to the questions(s) in a problem using appropriate representations, including symbols and informal and formal mathematical language.


 * __Materials: __**

1. The three game cards attached, these cards should be laminated.  2. A poker chip to cover the geometric shape or attribute that is being called by the announcer. 3. Announcer cards must be two sided, one side shows a picture of the geometric shape or lines, and the other side shows that actual picture that appears on the board game. Laminating these cards is also recommended. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Instructions for each player to have as a reference. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

5. Formula sheet for the group leader. This sheet will also be used when students ask for the formula. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To introduce Four-in-a-row to the students, the instructor, will utilize the 5 E's strategy, in hopes of inspiring all of the students to learn in a way that they feel comfortable. The 5 E's include Engage, Explore, Elaborate, Explain, and Evaluate the progress of the students individually and as a group. The teacher will being by engaging the students with a question: When you think of Geometry what common words come about? After a brief discussion the teacher will write the responses on the board and create a Venn diagram of the common answers amongst all the responses.
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Instructional Plan: __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the discussion is over, the teacher will explain that it is time to play a math game of the day and that the class will be playing a game similar to bingo. This game will test recognition and matching skills needed for exams to be given later in the geometry unit. The class will be distributed game boards and the teacher will read off the first clue. The class will match the clue to the correct diagram on their game board. The first student to have four markers in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally will win the game.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the game is over the instructor will clean-up everything necessary.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The 5 E's are satisfied in this unit in the following way.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Engage- Ask a question at the beginning of the unit. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Explore- Allow the student to match the clue to a diagram on their game board. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Elaborate- Allow the student to defend their answers using mathematical logic. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Explain- The first person to win will explain to the class what they were able to match and their reasoning. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evaluate- The teacher will evaluate the amount of material the winning student, as well as the other students, learned from the game.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1) What do you like about geometry and measurements? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2) What don't you like about geometry and measurements? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3) How much has this game helped you learn about the geometry and measurement questions? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4) What do you think could be improved in the assessing of geometry and measurement in the classroom? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5) What will get you, as a middle school student, excited about learning mathematics? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6) Were you, as a student adequately engaged in the game? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7) What could be changed about the game that would make it easier for others to learn?
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Questions for Students: __**

__**Adaptations:**__ 1. Students can keep track of their own times with a record sheet for each of the problems and they will record their time each time they play the game. This will allow the teacher to see how each student is progressing. 2. Students can be matched with even learners to have the competition fair so the students gain confidence in their math skills. 3. The students can play against themselves so that there is no competition in the classroom. 4. Don't time students instead play it as a flash card game working on their core geometry skills. 5. Allow students that may need it to have the formula sheet as they play the game to help them learn the formulas.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are several ways to test if students learned the material. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OPTION 1: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One way to do this is to create a short quiz, in fact the hints from the game can be recycled and used as the questions on the quiz and depending on the difficulty level it can be made as a matching quiz or fill-in-the-blank. Here is a sample quiz: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Assessment Options: __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OPTION 2: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another way to evaluate what the students have learned is to create a worksheet or a real-life scenario that requires the students to apply the knowledge that they have gained.One example of this is to create or find a road map and have students identify different geometric attributes they notice. Students can also be given a real life situation where they have to measure the distance from one place to another such as from their home to school and find the best route. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Road Map Geometry: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Give students road maps of the city the school is in. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Have students identify geometric attributes in the map (ex: perpendicular lines, parallel lines, triangles, etc.). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Tell students to label what they have found in the road map. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Have students choose a starting and ending point (ex: from the school to the ice cream shop). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Give them measurement tools and have students find the best route/shortest route. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Have a recording sheet for the students and this can be turned as the assessment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">*If assessment tool is used for upper grade levels other concepts can be incorporated. Students can also use reasoning to consider not just the route with the shortest distance but also the route that would take the shortest amount, depending on traffic lights and other things.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__**Extensions:**__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The game Four-in-a-Row is intended to be used as a review after these lessons have been taught. It can be used as an assessment tool before giving the students a geometry test.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Suggested Lessons to teach before:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Angle Measurements and Relationships


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Angle classification
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Complementary Angles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Supplementary Angles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Vertical Angles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parallel Lines

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Triangles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Congruence of sides
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scalene, Obtuse, Acute
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Equiangular, Right, Isosceles

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quadrilaterals
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parallelogram
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Square
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rectangle
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rhombus
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trapezoid

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Circles
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Degrees
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Area of a Circle

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Polygons
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pentagon
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Octagon

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cylinders
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Volume

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Relationships among Lines
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parallel
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Intersecting
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Line segment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perpendicular


 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teacher Reflection: __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Selah Family Math Night: Kristina Cervantes and Natalya Bozhko

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This game was intended for the middle level grades, but we had K-8 grades attend the Selah Family Math Night. We had to make modifications in order to make the game more effective. What surprised me about our game was that some students understood the descriptions right away and did not need any extra clarifications, while others struggled and needed the description to be re-worded in order for them understand it. The students seemed to enjoy the game, some of them wanted to play it more than once. The lesson ended up being successful because of the modifications we made. Which we based on the grade level the students were in. Something I would change in our game in order to make it more efficient would be to add multiple descriptions for each of the geometric shapes/lines, which would be helpful to the students.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The math night that we presented this game at was a success. When we arrived we noticed that most of the students that were attending were of elementary age. Throughout the event we modified our game to each student depending on what grade level they were in.For example if they were having difficulty with our clues we would simplify or re-word them. What surprised me was that what there were students that I thought would have a hard time but they were able to understand the clues and play the game successfully. A students' grade level does not always correspond to their ability level. We also provided a key for students to refer to if they needed it. I believe the students enjoyed this game because many of them stayed for another round. Before we began I was not sure of how successful it would be because it did not seem age-appropriate but because we modified it, all students were able to participate. What I would change/add is a set of clues for various grade levels so this game can be more flexible.

Problem Solving: Students apply their knowledge of geometrical shapes and attributes by identifying the correct slot on the board game. Students will also apply their previous knowledge to identify a new shape or to rule out a shape that might have some identical features.
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Process Standards: __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Communication: Four in a row meets the communication process standard by: allowing the student to verbally and non-verbally communicate to the instructor what and why they chose to place their token over the given geometric shape that they believed matched the clue.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reasoning: Four in a row meets this state standard by allowing the student to mathematically analyze the clue and the picture matching the geometric property and communicate via logical and mathematical reasoning why the given shape is correct.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Representations: In this game students are able to interpret the hints that are given into representations of the particular definition or object. They are able to use various representations of the geometry and measurement definitions. Another way this game can be played is for the host to give the students the hints and the student must draw what they hear instead of just finding the representation that is already drawn. The students can also be shown the drawing and can identify it. It is important for students to visually and verbally represent a problem.

Connections: In Four-in-a-Row students are able to meet this standard by making connections of the geometric shapes to their everyday life. This standard can also be met through the Road Map Geometry lesson provided under the Assessment section.