Geometry standards seem to be the last skills I teach before state testing. Because of this, I tend to be a bit rushed (to have time to review all the other math standards), and the students have major spring fever. This year, I mixed things up a bit and brought in some sweet treats to practice lines and angles in an engaging way that would help the skills stick with the students. Keep reading to learn about this activity and grab the free printables I used.
Materials
Twizzlers – five per student
Skittles – five per student
Paper plates – one per student
Plastic knife – optional – my students used this to cut their Twizzlers.
Lines and angle printable practice pages and quiz -> download here
Note: I gave more than enough Twizzlers and Skittles, especially since they could cut them. They could realistically get away with two Twizzlers and two Skittles.
About the Lines and Angles Activity
Basic Directions and Tips:
First, I gathered all of the materials and put enough for each group in a gallon bag. I passed out the bag to the groups and told them how many of each candy to distribute to each member of their group. Once the materials were passed out, I explained the directions.
Basically, the students would create each geometric element or shape using the Twizzlers and Skittles (if needed), get checked off, and then sketch the element on their printable.
As far as checking the students off went, I assigned each group a team captain. The team captain was in charge of raising his or her hand when all group members had created the element or shape and were ready. I would then come to the table, quickly check the students, ask any follow-up questions, and then give them permission to sketch the element or shape on their printout. This helped the process go by so much more smoothly.
Note: We did make one assumption about the Twizzlers: The Twizzlers represented lines, and the “arrows” that indicated that the lines go on and on forever were there and did not need to be created. This saved time and really helped when we created the shapes.
Creating Geometric Elements, Lines, and Angles
We completed the first page, which was a basic overview of points, line segments, lines, angles, types of lines, and types of angles, pretty quickly with very few hiccups. I did ask more follow-up questions while checking the types of angles and types of lines.
Questions When Checking Types of Angles:
How do you know this is right, acute, or obtuse?
What do you think the approximate measure of this angle is?
Questions When Checking Types of Lines:
Do the lines intersect? How do you know?
What type of angles do these lines create? Point to them.
We spent a few minutes before the students created their angles specifically discussing how to create angles using our materials and what those materials would represent. We used two Twizzlers and one Skittle to represent the two rays and the common endpoint they share.
Creating 2-D Shapes with Specific Lines
Another one of our geometry standards is recognizing when shapes have parallel and/or perpendicular lines, so I knew I definitely wanted to squeeze this skill into this activity.
Before tackling this, we came back together as a class (on the carpet) and practiced drawing shapes with parallel lines or perpendicular lines with markers and marker boards. This helped us review and helped me clear up any misconceptions before they created the shapes with their Twizzlers.
When I was checking the students’ shapes, I followed the same guidelines as above (having the team captain notify me when the entire group was ready), but I also required the students to point to the types of lines in the shape they had created. This helped me check for understanding.
Quiz Time!
After the activity, I gave the students about five minutes to study with a partner and then gave them a quick one-page quiz, which I have included in the free download linked in the materials section and in the section below.
Where do I download the lines and angles activity printables?
Click here to download the printables and quiz that I used for the activity.
Need More Geometry Activities and Resources?
If you need more geometry resources, here are the ones available in my store:
Shape of the Day: This is a bit more advanced, and I use it to review 2-D shapes with 5th graders and advanced 4th graders. Each day they are presented with a 2-D shape and asked to answer questions about the shape. Click here to see the Shape of the Day printables in my TpT store.
Geometry Review Booklet: I use this review booklet to review geometry terms before state assessments. My students love mini-booklets, and this one is no exception. Click here to see the Geometry Review booklet in my store.
Geometry Review Flipbook: This is another resource I use as needed to review geometry standards. The flipbook format is very non-threatening and engaging to the students. Click here to see the Geometry Flipbook.
4th Grade Geometry Math Centers: These math centers are the centers I have my students complete during and after learning about our geometry standards. There are 11 math centers in all, covering all of the 4th grade geometry common core standards. You can check out the geometry math centers by clicking here.
Do you have any fun activities for practicing and reviewing lines and angles? Let me know in the comments!
I absolutely love how you engage students through hands-on opportunities. This is not the first blog I read, but I noticed that you LOVE having students work with “outside the box” manipulatives. I know they are probably actively engaged and it is due to your creative thinking. I can’t wait to try some of these with my students, too!