Curated OER
Angling Your Way Through a Picture
Students look at the geometry in an artwork. In this art history/geometry instructional activity, students research the artist Charles Sheeler and look at his painting Stacks in Celebration. They find the different types of lines,...
Think Map
Know Your Polygons!
Shape shifters recognize characteristics of polygons. Embracing language arts skills in addition to math, they use a thesaurus to pinpoint specific attributes of a set of polygons. They also participate in a 21-question guessing game...
Curated OER
Hello My Name is . . . Helvetica
Students play various games to help create a classroom community. In this name recognition lesson, students combine their name recognition skills with newly learned art and geometric vocabulary. First students discover vocabulary that...
Curated OER
Geometry and Tony Smith Sculpture
Young scholars respond to Tony Smith's sculpture as art and brainstorm about math concepts inherent in his work. They create a sculpture with polyhedra nets, calculate the cost of covering sculpture in gold, and write an exhibit label...
Curated OER
Polygons in Symmetry: Animal Inventions
Fourth graders use polygons to create animal figures with symmetry. In this polygons and symmetry lesson plan, 4th graders create a symmetrical animal collage by cutting and gluing geometric shapes and figures from math activities.
Curated OER
Line and Shape Game
Students create a picture of an actual scene or overlap the called out lines or shapes into a space-breaker. If someone calls out a line or shape a student had not planned to use in the art, they have to figure out some way to use it...
Curated OER
Graph Paper Patterns
Young artists divide a piece of graph paper into sections using rectangles, squares, and triangles. They then fill each section with patterns of shape and color. Elementary graders describe how their patterns are organized. Secondary...
Curated OER
Dynamic Collages and Assemblages
Students create a two, three, or four-dimensional collage or assemblage. They use shapes, colors, images, objects, and textures to create their collage.
Curated OER
Geometry and Islam: Religious Beliefs Made Visual
Students examine the importance of geometric patterns in Muslim countries. Using cutout patterns, they replicate the designs seen in Islam and color them. They put their completed designs on a bulletin board to show to the school.
Curated OER
100 Patch Geometric Quilts
Students identify geometric patterns in quilts. In this geometry lesson, students view various types of quilts and identify the geometric shapes. Students construct one hundred patch paper quilts using geometric shapes.
Exploratorium
Exploring Tessellations
Tessellations are patterns of repeating shapes that don't overlap and don't have any gaps. Middle schoolers take this simple definition and engage in a lesson that combines visual art and mathematics. They cut out index cards using...
Curated OER
Tessellations: Geometry and Symmetry
Students examine tesselllations and their geometric properties. They have a better knowledge of polygons, can identify types of symmetry in tessellations. Also students use visulization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to...
Curated OER
Mathematics in Art?
Fifth graders view prints of M.C. Escher's work. They look at examples of geometric figures and polygons and discuss places they have seen them. Students create their own tessellations. They write a report about the process they used in...
Curated OER
Imaginary Spaces: Designing a Play Space
Students apply their enthusiasm for imaginary play to create their own imaginary play space. In this novice architectural design lesson, students arrange and glue pre-cut foam shapes to a cardboard base to set up their play space. In...
Curated OER
Out and About-Creating Design
Students demonstrate the elements of design by creating a digital photography portfolio of photos taken in and arond the scool. The edit photos using Photoshope to emphasize the element of desing in each phot.
Curated OER
Symmetrical Snowflakes
First graders, exploring lines of symmetry, follow directions to create a symmetrical snowflake from their own homemade icing. As a class, they discuss lines of symmetry and determine if specific shapes are symmetrical. After the lesson,...
Curated OER
Track Traces
Learners explore animal characteristics by participating in an animal anatomy activity. In this animal tracks instructional activity, students identify the differences between specific animals and the shape of their footprints. Learners...
Curated OER
Visual Patterns in Tessellations
Young scholars explore tessellations as well as various types of polygon. Students examine tessellating patterns in the world around them. Young scholars examine tessellations by creating their own tessellations and completing the...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Paper Airplanes
Young scholars explore symmetry. For this geometry and scientific inquiry lesson, students design paper airplanes with middle line symmetry, as well as right, obtuse, and acute angles. Young scholars measure the plane's angles using a...
Curated OER
Equations in Motion: Design and construct a mobile
Students participate in a lesson that covers the concepts of solving equations and inequalities. To master the concept they must demonstrate visually and verbally how both sides of an equation must be balanced. They construct a balanced...
Curated OER
Geometry and Symmetry
Students examine tessellations and their geometric properties. The activity and discussions may be used to develop students' understanding of polygons and symmetry as well as their ability to analyze patterns.
Curated OER
The Search for Pythagoras' Treasure
Students identify and define properties of triangles. In this geometry lesson plan, students identify the missing sides and angles of right triangles. They use the rules of the Pythagorean Theorem to solve their problems.
Curated OER
Blindfolded Building
Students build a Lego design and then work with a partner to reproduce that design. They guide the building of the reproduction by description only and then check their work.
Curated OER
Mondrian, Math, and Amazing Colors
Students study geometric shapes, lines, and the primary colors as they create Mondrian-like art prints.