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What A Find!
Send students on a quest for polygons!
Purpose: To identify polygons
Students will do the following:
• identify polygons within a larger figure
• combine figures to form different polygons
• follow directions to search for specific polygons
Materials for each student:
• copy of page 4
• pencil
Vocabulary to review:
•
•
•
•
•
polygons
quadrilateral
trapezoid
parallelogram
combine
Extension activities to use after the reproducible:
• Bring out the pattern blocks for some fun explorations with polygons. Pair your students. Give each pair of students a set of pattern blocks or one copy of the pattern-block patterns on page 43. Have students experiment
to find the different combinations of smaller blocks that form a larger shape. For example, three green triangles
make a red trapezoid, or two red trapezoids make a yellow hexagon. Have students make tracings of their findings and share them with the class.
• Challenge your students to use pattern blocks to create other polygons—such as a pentagon, an octagon, or
even a dodecagon (a 12-sided polygon). Give each student a set of pattern blocks or a duplicated set of blocks
from page 43. Have the student use a marker to trace the polygons he creates onto drawing paper and number
each tracing. Then have each student trade papers with a partner and identify each of his partner’s polygons by
writing each name next to the corresponding number on loose-leaf paper. Reward each student who correctly
identifies all the shapes with a homework pass.
Polygons
Name
Polygons
What A Find!
Iggie Iguana has discovered a pyramid and an entranceway deep in the rain forest of
Costa Rica! He has concluded that the people who built these structures used a combination
of polygons in their constructions. Help Iggie collect data on the number and kind of different
polygons within these structures.
Find #1: Pyramid
1 6
2
3
4
5
triangle
1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________
4. ___________
5. ___________
Iggie sketched and numbered the shapes that form two of
the pyramid’s faces. Write the name of each polygon next
to its corresponding number. Then fill in the chart to identify
the polygons that can be formed by combining two or more
regions. The first one has been done for you.
8
7
9
Regions
Polygon
7, 8, 9
trapezoid
4, 5
1, 2
6. ___________
7. ___________
8. ___________
9. ___________
3, 4
8, 9
6, 7
3, 4, 5
Find #2: Entranceway
Now study Iggie’s drawing of the entranceway. Fill in
the chart to identify the polygons formed by combining the regions listed.
Regions
1, 2
4
5
6
8, 9
4, 5
3
7
8
2
1
9
2, 3
5, 6
6, 7
7, 8
1, 2, 3
7, 8, 9
6, 7, 8
4, 5, 6
Bonus Box: How many different quadilaterals can
you find on the entranceway?
6, 7, 8, 9
©1999 The Education Center, Inc. • The Mailbox® Math Series • Geometry • TEC3201 • Key p. 45
Polygon
Polygon Bingo!
Have fun reviewing polygons with this familiar game!
Purpose: To identify polygons
Students will do the following:
• identify pictures of polygons while playing
a game
Materials for each student:
•
•
•
•
•
G
O
N
I
!
B
copy of page 6
scissors
glue
6” x 9” sheet of construction paper
game markers, such as dried beans or
paper squares
Vocabulary to review:
• polygons: triangle, square, rectangle,
quadrilateral, parallelogram, trapezoid,
rhombus, pentagon, hexagon, octagon,
decagon
Extension activities to use after the reproducible:
• Reinforce the recognition of polygons with this small-group graphing activity. Divide students into groups of four.
Give each group a quart-size resealable bag of pattern blocks. Direct the group members to sort the blocks by
shape and then construct a bar graph of the shapes by number. Then have each group write a paragraph interpreting their graph to share with the class.
• Spark students’ creativity by having them turn pattern-block tracings into animated masterpieces. Duplicate one
set of the pattern blocks on page 43 for each student. Have each student cut out his blocks and place them
inside a class container. Shake the container; then have each student draw out at least five blocks. Give the student a 9” x 12” sheet of white construction paper on which to arrange his cutouts into a polygon creature. Have
him trace the cutouts on his paper, adding color and details. Then display students’ creations on a board titled
“Polygon Antics.”
Polygons
Name
Polygons
dec
a
g
on
octagon
gon
hexa
pentagon
To play: Your teacher will call out the name of a polygon from this
page one at a time. Each time a polygon is called, cover a picture
of that type of polygon on your game card. Some polygons will be
called more than once. When four pictures in a row are covered
horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, call out “Polygon Bingo!”
Your teacher will check to see if you are the winner.
Polygon Bingo!
square
To make the game card: Cut out the game card below and glue
it to the construction paper your teacher gives you. Cut the polygon pictures apart along the dotted lines; then randomly glue
each picture to a different box on your game card.
l
quadrilatera
triangle
rectangle
parallelogram
trapezoid
rhomb
us
©1999 The Education Center, Inc. • The Mailbox® Math Series • Geometry • TEC3201
Note To The Teacher: Duplicate a class set of this page plus one more. Give each student one copy of this page and have him follow the directions to make his
game card. Use the extra copy to track the polygons that are called.
Amazing Riddles
Test your students’ knowledge of polygons with this riddle review!
Purpose: To identify and construct polygons
Students will do the following:
• solve riddles about polygons
• use rulers to construct polygons
Materials for each student:
?
?
? ? ?
?
?
• copy of page 8
• pencil
• ruler
Vocabulary to review:
•
•
•
•
polygons: quadrilateral, square, triangle,
rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon,
parallelogram, rhombus, trapezoid
opposite sides
parallel
acute and obtuse angles
Extension activities to use after the reproducible:
• Turn your students into polygon riddlers! Divide students into five groups. Assign each group one of the following polygons: heptagon (7 sides), nonagon (9 sides), decagon (10 sides), hendecagon (11 sides), dodecagon
(12 sides). Have the members of each group write a riddle about their assigned polygon for their classmates to
guess.
• Challenge pairs of students to teach groups of younger students the attributes of some standard polygons. First
direct each pair of students to cut a triangle, a square, a rectangle, and a pentagon from colorful construction
paper. Next have the pair write a riddle about each polygon. Then arrange for each student pair to share their
cutouts with a group of younger students and have them guess their riddles.
Polygons
Name
Polygons
Amazing Riddles
Reggie the clown can solve riddles with ease. However, the riddle at the bottom of this page
has him stumped. You can help Reggie solve that riddle easily by matching the correct polygon in the
box to each clue below. Next unscramble the boldfaced letters in the clues to help you solve the riddle.
Then, amaze Reggie by using a ruler to draw any five of these polygons on the back of this page.
quadrilateral
hexagon
4.
I have eight
sides.
trapezoid
square
5.
I have three
sides and
three angles.
rectangle
octagon
parallelogram
pentagon
6.
I am a quadrilateral with two pairs of
parallel lines. I have no
right angles. Two of my angles are acute and two are obtuse. I am not a rhombus.
triangle
rhombus
7.
I am a
five-sided
polygon.
8.
I am a foursided polygon.
None of my
sides are the
same length.
3.
I am a polygon
with six sides.
2.
I am a quadrilateral
with one pair of
parallel lines, two
acute angles, and
two obtuse angles.
9.
I am a quadrilateral
with two pairs of
parallel lines. My
adjacent sides are
different lengths and
form right angles.
1.
I have four equal
sides, two pairs of
parallel lines, and
four right angles.
10.
I am a parallelogram.
All of my sides are
the same length.
What did the little girl say when she saw the door to her birdcage had been left open?
“__ __ __ __ __ __ __ !”
Bonus Box: Look back at your answers to the even-numbered riddles above. Write down the number of angles in
each of those five polygons. Then add the numbers together to find the total number of angles they represent.
©1999 The Education Center, Inc. • The Mailbox® Math Series • Geometry • TEC3201 • Key p. 45