Junk drawer geometry 50 awesome activities that don't cost a thing

Bobby Mercer, 1961-

Book - 2019

"In Junk drawer geometry, educator Bobby Mercer provides readers with 50 creative geometry project ideas for engaged learning. Each activity includes a materials list and detailed, step-by-step, instructions with illustrations."--

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

j516/Mercer
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room j516/Mercer Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Juvenile works
Published
Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press [2019]
Language
English
Main Author
Bobby Mercer, 1961- (author)
Physical Description
xi, 176 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Audience
Ages 9+
Grades 4 to 6.
ISBN
9780912777795
9781549076749
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Student Whiteboards
  • 1. Geometry Tools
  • Pencil Compass
  • World's Simplest Compass
  • Magnetic Triangle Flash Cards
  • Straw Polygon
  • Parallel Lines
  • Paper Protractor
  • Cubic Cardboard Boxes
  • Right Angle String
  • Soup Can Tangents
  • Cereal Box Caliper
  • Angle Machine
  • Yarn and Cardboard Graph Paper
  • Unit Circle Glove
  • X-Y-Z Box
  • 2. Geometry Labs
  • A Voyage with Vectors
  • Area and Perimeter Flooring
  • Pipe Cleaner Translations
  • Cheese Cracker Pythagoras
  • Inscribed Angle Circles
  • Linear, Area, and Volume Markers
  • Marshmallow Volume
  • Midsegment Toilet Paper
  • Parallel Paper Plate Proof
  • Radians Are Fun
  • Smartphone Trig
  • Straw Components
  • Straw Triangles
  • Thumbs Up
  • Trig Function Coffee Filter
  • Wheat Cracker Area
  • Diameter of the Sun
  • How Tall Is Your House?
  • 3. Fun Geometry Activities
  • Circle Art
  • Circle Art 2
  • Circles into Squares
  • Curved Yarn
  • Flip-Book Fun
  • Freehand Circles
  • Magnet Shapes
  • Math Triangles
  • Mobius Index Card
  • Mobius Strip
  • Paper Cones, Toilet Paper Tubes, and Flashlight Cones
  • Paper Folding 101
  • Recycled Lines of Symmetry
  • String Ellipses
  • T Puzzle
  • Tangrams
  • Tessellations Are Fun
  • Triangular Circle
  • Glossary
  • Solutions
Review by Booklist Review

Kids who hate geometry may change their minds after trying the activities in this entry in the Junk Drawer Science series. The author, a physics teacher, understands that kids will grasp geometry more easily if they can visualize it with concrete examples. If younger kids are exposed to geometry concepts before they're taught in school, he says, the easier it will be for them to understand as they get older. The 50 included activities use no- or low-cost materials to demonstrate geometry concepts: learning the Pythagorean theorem with cheese crackers, or comparing area to perimeter using wheat crackers. Each activity includes step-by-step instructions and black-and-white photos, and indicates what grades it's geared for, while suggesting ways to adapt for younger or older students. The activities range from advanced ones for high-schoolers to those for younger kids (i.e., how to create a flip-art book of shapes). This entertaining and instructional book is ideal for students studying geometry, exploring STEM careers, or those who just love solving math puzzles.--Sharon Rawlins Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 5 Up-Mercer, an experienced physics teacher, presents simple projects in this accessible volume. The introduction provides a succinct rationale for using hands-on activities to help students master math and science concepts. The volume is divided into three sections, each with 14-18 examples. In "Geometry Tools," students make cereal box calipers, a paper protractor, and yarn and cardboard graph paper. In "Math Labs," students see real-world applications to geometry concepts as they work through projects such as cheese cracker Pythagoras and midsegment toilet paper. In "Fun Geometry Activities," students make their own tessellations and puzzles. Each craft includes a brief description, a list of supplies, an explanation of the math concepts learned, and information on which grade levels the project is for, from elementary to high school. Step-by-step directions are comprehensible and accompanied by useful photos. The titular phrase "Junk drawer geometry" is right on-all materials are inexpensive and easy to gather. -VERDICT A great addition to STEM collections and makerspaces.-Erica Thorsen, Albemarle High School, VA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.