Janice VanCleave's Geometry for Every Kid: Easy Activities that Make Learning Geometry Fun / Edition 1

by Janice VanCleave

Overview

How do you fold a sheet of paper into the shape of a whale? How doyou measure the area of a pizza pie? How can you draw a circlewithin a circle without lifting your pencil from the paper?

Now you can discover the answers to these and other fascinatingquestions about elementary geometry—the study of shapes. Packedwith illustrations, Geometry for Every Kid uses simple problems andactivities to teach about acute and obtuse angles, parallel andperpendicular lines, plane and space figures, and much more! Byarranging the pieces of an intriguing Chinese puzzle called atangram, you'll explore all the different shapes you can form.You'll also learn how to create a colorful 3-D drawing that seemsto rise right off the page! And, by building a geoboard, you'lldiscover a quick, fun way to compare the area of differentgeometric figures.

Each of the activities is broken down into its purpose, a list ofmaterials, step-by-step instructions, expected results, and an easyto understand explanation. Every project has been pretested and canbe performed safely and inexpensively in the classroom or athome.

Also available in this series from Janice VanCleave:
* ASTRONOMY FOR EVERY KID
* BIOLOGY FOR EVERY KID
* CHEMISTRY FOR EVERY KID
* DINOSAURS FOR EVERY KID
* EARTH SCIENCE FOR EVERY KID
* GEOGRAPHY FOR EVERY KID
* THE HUMAN BODY FOR EVERY KID
* MATH FOR EVERY KID
* PHYSICS FOR EVERY KID

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471311423
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/16/1994
Series:	Science for Every Kid Series , #107
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.34(w) x 9.43(h) x 0.91(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

JANICE VANCLEAVE is a former school science teacher and a captivating presenter at museums, schools, and bookstores nationwide. She is the author of over twenty other science books for children.

Table of Contents

Line Up.

What's the Angle?.

Crossover.

Three-Sided Figures.

Four-Sided Figures.

Hidden Figures.

Overlay.

Five-Square Figures.

Curvey Figures.

Never-Ending Line.

Around and Around.

Too Odd.

Reverse Copy.

Plane Art.

What's Next?.

Coverup.

Same Size.

Pie?.

Dotted.

Spacey.

Faces.

On the Surface.

Toothpick Magic.

Over and Up.

Three-Dimensional Drawings.

Glossary.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-5-Twenty-five topics are introduced with background definitions and problems to check comprehension, followed by a classroom-tested activity. The book is more suited to classroom use than at home, where the materials for the most interesting activities may take time to round up (nails, a board, matching highlighters and transparent, plastic report covers to cut up to make a 3-D picture). Having a teacher add to the background for formulae like A=r2 or define ``circumference'' would also be helpful. (Unlike ``ratio,'' ``circumference'' is in the glossary, but its definition, given in terms of ``perimeter,'' is not user-friendly for novices.) Geometry does not follow the format of earlier ``Science For Every Kid'' books as it presents chapters instead of one-page activities. The book has lots of white space and clear black-line diagrams. A survey of public libraries and bookstores found no competition. That could either mean that it fills a crying need, or that there's no demand for it at all.-Margaret Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Library, NY

School Library Journal

This book from the Science for Every Kid series introduces concepts in geometry through short explanations and hands-on activities. From recognition of lines, shapes, patterns, and angles, VanCleave moves into calculation of area, three-dimensional figures, and coordinate graphing. Although the book doesn't replace a good geometry text or instructor, it could provide teachers and motivated students with simple projects for exploring facets of geometry. Line drawings and diagrams illustrate the text.

Carolyn Phelan