Last Updated on October 9, 2023 by Editorial Team
The high school math curriculum drives students to dig deeper into concepts learned in previous levels. Geometry is one such subject that moves from lines and angles to more complicated terms like Quadrilaterals on reaching high school. Teaching them while keeping the interest alive can be a daunting task.
Those with learning difficulties need alternative learning methods like manipulatives and IEPs to keep up with the requirements. There are several theories and formulae to revise, learning them through activities may put the load off the mind considerably. Let’s explore some of the quadrilateral activities that cover learning appropriate to high school.
List of quadrilateral activities for high schoolers
Activities have a cognition-driven impact on the learning process of high schoolers. Fun replaces the stress in the learning process and enhances learners’ engagement[1]. The students can do these activities in a group or pairs or may involve teachers or guardians too. A few of the interactive activities include:
1. Making flashcards and matching them
All students are quite familiar with flashcards which form a memory-boosting pedagogical intervention. They have been using flashcards in preschool and higher levels for grasping various types of concepts. To be more fluid in applying quadrilateral rules, flashcard-based activities help a lot.
In a match flashcards activity, students can divide themselves into groups. One group draws various quadrilaterals on the blank flashcards and the other one jots down the properties or definitions. Once through with the preparatory part, the students having properties or other cues may start reading the contents aloud.
The member from the other group identifies the quadrilateral and pairs up with the cue reader. It is how they brush up on their quadrilateral basics using a collaborative learning model. The students may flip the sides as well to keep everyone equally engaged.
2. Preparing an anchor chart
Going through books and searching for quadrilaterals’ definitions, properties, and related formulas can sometimes take up a lot of time. Preparing an anchor chart can serve the need of preparing ready-to-use reference material. In this activity, students take a chart paper and divide it into two columns. They draw quadrilaterals on one column and elaborate their properties on others. Further, they enrich the properties’ cells with related formulas as well.
Anchor chart preparation allows students to explore quadrilateral properties and facts. This anchor chart can also be called a fact sheet. Students can hang these anchor charts in their study rooms and memorize as many properties and formulas as possible. Regular reading is essential for maximizing the benefits of making anchor charts.
3. Create your own quadrilateral
The quadrilateral is divisible into ‘Quad’ which means four and ‘lateral’ is derived from the Latin word latus or later; which means side. Thus, a figure containing four sides where adjacent sides form angles equal to 3600 is called a quadrilateral. You can make your own quadrilateral using straws, glue, chart paper, etc. Keep in mind various identifying features that differentiate rhomboid, trapezoid, square, rectangle, etc.
On applying all the properties that go into developing these four-sided figures, you can get practical knowledge of principles governing the formulas, relationships between angles, etc. Thus, you move from rote memorizing to strategic learning the quadrilateral concepts. Students can pick color-coded straws to establish relationships more clearly.
4. Making a tangram of quadrilaterals
Making a tangram of quadrilaterals requires a lot of imaginative thinking and critical reasoning regarding shapes and orientations. Start by collecting quadrilateral manipulatives of different sizes. Then try to arrange them in a cohesive manner on a cardboard surface.
To make it easier, you may draw a pattern made of quadrilaterals first, then apply glue to the pattern and fit the pieces. This activity gives an idea of spatial relationships that figures may develop. For example, students can understand questions like how a rhombus is formed, or facts like quadrilateral are nothing but the addition of two triangles more clearly by doing this activity.
5. Making a quadrilateral working model
Students need to be familiar with angles and sides, and the fact that the shape of the quadrilateral changes with the alteration in angles. They can grasp this concept quite reasonably by making a working model of the quadrilateral. In the working model activity, you take two straws and combine them to develop a strip.
Make at least four such strips. Take a cutter and make a ridge in between. Clasp the ridges’ sides near the corner with screws. You can move the screws up and down to create different angles between the sides, and ultimately various quadrilateral shapes.
This activity provides a tangible translation of rules like congruence, angle-side relationships, and various principles governing quadrilaterals’ formulas.
6. Solving task cards
The prerequisites of this activity are knowledge of multi-step algebraic equations and properties of quadrilaterals. Students can create workable problems on task cards by applying various quadrilaterals-based theories. They have to answer the problems to refine their geometry and reasoning skills.
You can create questions like finding a side length, angle, find area, etc. to give a good workout to the brain and enhance concept retrieval. Also, add an element of smoothness in concept application by using task cards as a competition tool.
Why activities to teach quadrilaterals?
Teaching quadrilaterals through activities helps augment practical learning of the concept. High school students prepare for various professional courses and need to have a working knowledge along with conceptual mastery. Activities serve as a practical training tool and fulfill this requirement.
Problem-solving skills can be improved by intervening concepts through the activity way. Students can critically analyze the concept and explore it from a real-life perspective by doing activities based on quadrilaterals.
Activities boost questioning power. Students can challenge the pre-conceived notions or pre-established hypotheses. By arriving at the outcome, they can realize the premise on which a theory is based.
Activities also offer an opportunity to research. When the student prepares for the activities, they do a little homework to research various aspects. From simple definitions to theories and formulas, they explore deeply everything to develop a tangible form of textual knowledge. It allows appreciation of the utility of conceptual knowledge in real-life scenarios.
Things to consider while teaching by activity
An activity must be an enabler of learning and not a hindrance. To achieve this flawlessness in the way of imparting knowledge, you must consider the following points:
- Plan amply and in advance
- Keep activities short but adequately engaging
- Tell beforehand the objectives and outcomes
- Encourage students to participate by offering treats and rewards
Conclusion
Activities allow high school students to explore quadrilaterals from various perspectives. These help enhance the relational understanding of students and drive them into deeper exploration. Collaborative teaching made possible by activities takes the math worries away and allows learners to learn by way of sharing knowledge and teamwork. Since all students may not be at the same level of proficiency, activities offer a multisensory approach to make concepts easier for all.
References
- Lawrence, Salika A.; Jefferson, Tiffany; and Osborn, Nancy (2017) “Engaging Students in the Research Process: Comparing Approaches Used with Diverse Learners in Two Urban High School Classrooms,”The Language and Literacy Spectrum: Vol. 27 : Iss. 1 , Article 5.
I am Pratiksha Bhatt, Bachelor of Life Science, and Masters in Management Studies. I have done certification courses in early education counseling. I am a writer, a mother of a child with spelling difficulties which drove me to alternative resources of education like manipulatives and participatory activities. My areas of expertise are learning difficulties, alternative learning methods, and activity-based learning.