Geometry Wish List

Need your help folks...

I am a first year teacher for Geometry, and I am trying to apply for a local grant for teachers at my school for $250 for classroom related materials. Any Geometry teachers out there who can recommend what I should pursue? Specifically, I'm looking for a quality set of manipulatives of various shapes that can be used in class... any ideas of where to look? Also thinking of getting class sets of the games Blokus or Set, among other things.

What would you get? How would you spend your money?

--Nate

 

Do you have access to Geom Sketchpad? That could be helpful....

 

The large demonstration set of compass and protractor; a set of geometric solids that open up so you can see the nets; graphing calculators.

 

Where do you get these geometric solids from?

 

I might have gotten them from www.learningresources.com or from www.etacuisenaire.com. I'll look online and see if I can find them.

 

Here it is:

http://www.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=40818&q=nets

 

I loved geometer's sketchpad. The accompanying texts are really helpful, and it really gets people into doing geometry.

 

What about this... does anyone know of any good books for hands-on Geometry activities or other similar resources? Trying to keep things interesting and not just stuck to the book. Any good books I could buy or where else could I look for similar resources?

Thanks!

 

To be honest, I can teach Geometry with a straitedge, a compass, some colored chalk and an eraser.

I'm not sure what I would do with much more.

 

Yes I can technically teach in this manner and am currently, but I'd much rather students participate in geometry, rather than just observe me or take my word for it. Geometry seems like it has a lot more direct application to real life situation than other high school maths, I'm trying to make that connection so students stay engaged.

I guess for context I should add that I'm a first year teacher, and I'm teaching at an inner city school, with fairly unmotivated students. My year is going great all things considered, but I don't want to settle for status quo.

Haha... and I'm "sciencenate" because when I was student teaching I originally thought I might be teaching physics.

 

I'm a first year Geometry teacher too and found a great book that has activities and worksheets. I just used one from there today using pretzels to show the Triangle Inequality. I can't remember the exact name though, but when I get home and see the name I'll find you the link. It's titled something like Cooperative Activities and Geometry, by Kagan Publishing, I think.

 

Here's the link to the Geometry activity book I use: http://www.enasco.com/product/TB21185T