Need help making geometry come alive for your students? Consider adding more activities to help them make meaningful connections to the concepts.
Geometry offers a wide range of engaging experiences that can make learning more accessible and enjoyable for teens.
Activities can help students develop a deeper understanding of key geometry concepts such as angle relationships, proportional reasoning, math vocabulary, and two- and three-dimensional figures. These activities strengthen mathematical understanding and can help build problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial reasoning skills.
Let’s take a look at some of our favorite geometry activities for teens.
Interior Angles of Polygons
Your student can determine the interior angle sum of any polygon by marking figures and looking for patterns. All they need is a pencil, paper, straightedge, and knowledge of the fact that all triangles have an interior angle sum of 180 degrees.
Increasing the number of sides of a polygon increases the sum of the interior angle measure. Your student can discover this by drawing polygons with a straight edge and then constructing as many interior triangles from a single vertex. Then you can encourage them to look for patterns and come up with a formula to predict the interior angle measure for a polygon with n-sides.
This activity allows students to practice using math tools and apply foundational knowledge of triangles to polygons.
Calculate the Height of a Tree
Engage your students in a hands-on geometry activity that combines outdoor learning with the concept of similar triangles. To measure a tree’s height (without climbing it):
- Have students measure their height, shadow length, and the tree’s shadow length.
- Explain that the ratio of their height to shadow length equals the ratio of the tree’s height to shadow length.
- Demonstrate this concept using two similar right triangles, with the larger representing the tree and the smaller representing the student.
- Let students perform the measurements and calculations independently.
- Reinforce their understanding of the concept by repeating the experiment at different times of the day and with different height objects.
This activity helps high school students develop a deeper understanding of proportional reasoning while discovering mathematical and geometrical applications to common real-world problems.
Play a Geometry Picture Game
Play this Geometry picture game using two- and three-dimensional figures and geometry terms. This game uniquely incorporates creativity, sketching, and math vocabulary. To incorporate more math tools, you can decide if you want your student to use a compass, protractor, and straightedge while playing.
- Compile a list of high school geometry figures and math vocabulary.
- Write each on an index card.
- One student selects a card and draws their selection on a piece of paper or whiteboard, while the other student tries to determine the geometry figure or word.
- Continue taking turns until everyone has had a few turns.
An alternate option is to reverse the game. In this version, one student uses math vocabulary to describe a geometric figure while the other draws it.
You can ask follow questions that include:
- What vocabulary words would have been helpful to hear when sketching?
- How can you improve your sketch?
This game encourages high school students to apply their knowledge of geometric figures and vocabulary through sketching and collaboration. Adding a timer can make learning fun because students anticipate seeing the figure on the card when the time is up.
Conduct a Geometry Scavenger Hunt
Have your student look for existing geometric structures in your environment, such as the parallel lines of the stairs or the degree measure formed by the hands of the clock. Then, write down as many figures and descriptions as possible. Students could also take pictures and mark them to indicate the figure. Try taking this activity outside for some fresh-air fun.
Create your Dream House
Students love the opportunity to create a space for themselves. Let them design a house, or improve the furniture layout of their bedroom. This activity incorporates sketching, measurement, proportional reasoning, modeling, and area.
This can be extended further by researching the cost of building materials, like flooring and paint, and maybe even volunteering to help build a house.
Bringing Geometry to Life for Your Students
Because geometry is one of the most visual branches of mathematics, it lends itself to a wide array of engaging activities. From exploring shapes and symmetry to measuring angles and heights, math activities can make geometry come alive for teens.
Feel free to experiment with the provided activities and adapt them to suit your student’s educational needs. Look for ways in daily life to incorporate learning to keep things interesting.
Most importantly, listen to your students’ feedback. Pay attention to which activities they enjoy most and why. Use their input to guide your future lesson planning and incorporate more of their favorite geometry activities into them. By tailoring your approach to their preferences, you’ll create a more engaging and effective learning environment that cultivates a genuine love for mathematics.
Want more ideas for your classroom? Check out our math resources.
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