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Ideas Inspired by Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics

Property Lists for Quadrilaterals (K-3, p.207) Prepare worksheets for parallelograms, rhombi, rectangles, and squares. On each sheet are three or four examples of that category of shape. Assign students working in groups of three or four to one type of quadrilateral. Their task is to list as many properties as they can. Each property listed must be applicable to all of the shapes on their sheet. They will need a simple index card to check right angles, to compare side lengths, and to draw straight lines. Mirrors (to check line symmetry) and tracing paper (for angle congruence and rotational symmetry) are also useful tools. Encourage students to use the words "at least" when describing how many of something: for example, "rectangles have at least two lines of symmetry," since squares - included in the rectangles - have four.

Have students prepare their property lists under these headings: Sides, Angles, Diagonals, and Symmetries. Groups then share their lists with the class and eventually a class list for each shape will be developed.

BLM's 37-40 (BLM 37-40 Links to an external site.)

Graphic Organizers in Math
Have students web their ideas about quadrilaterals or specific quadrilaterals. This can be used as a pre or post assessment. Use a Venn diagram (Venn Diagram Links to an external site.) to compare and contrast different quadrilaterals.

Find the mystery quadrilateral. This quadrilateral has four congruent sides. Opposite angles are congruent. The angles are not right angles. a) square b) trapezoid c) rhombus d) rectangle

Lesson Seeds
Use geoboards and ask the students to make a four-sided quadrilateral. Sort the shapes students made into squares, rectangles, trapezoids, parallelograms, and rhombi. Discuss the size and orientation of the various shapes, emphasizing the shapes are not affected by the size and orientation.

Quadrilateral riddles - Have students write riddles about quadrilaterals to use with partners or during center time. For example, I have one set of parallel sides. What quadrilateral am I?