Constructions are an integral part of high school Geometry.
Teaching constructions well requires great assessments. You’ll need a deep knowledge of the construction process, and you’ll want quality construction tools, mainly a compass. Tips for making great constructions are really helpful, as well as having excellent methods for demonstrating the step-by-step procedures.
Need tips on getting your students used to doing constructions? Click here.
Now that we know where our students are going, let’s look at how to teach them best!
Excellent Demonstration
OK, you’ve got all the processes, tips, and pointers in mind…what about direct instruction?
For me, I loved-loved-loved using the document camera for constructions.
Our media center had several for the school that we could check out. We Geometry teachers checked them out for the entire year…every year!😂
I used mine every day of the semester. {Also, kids enjoy sharing their work much more when they can put it on screen using the document camera.😆}
Now that I’m seeing the prices on them, wow, I was not nearly as thankful for that as I should have been!
If you don’t have one, I really encourage you to see if your media specialist, curriculum specialist, school or district level administrator, or even regional educational system (called RESA in Georgia) has one or could order one for classroom use.
It’s that useful for whole group, in-class instruction in a high school Geometry classroom. Good luck!
In a typical classroom of 30 students, I’d try to have students partnered for constructions.
The usual plan was for me to demonstrate the new construction, with students just watching or following along.
I encouraged just watching the construction the first time through!
For simpler, more straightforward ones, such as copying a segment, I’d do the construction once, and then I’d project an AWESOME resource on the screen: mathopenref. Scroll down until you see the specific one you’re teaching. Click on it. The animation will be at the top of the screen.
*ProTip:
- Click on the arrows button for full screen.
- Click on Options and check the checkbox that says “Auto repeat.”
- Then click on “Run.”
This way, you can begin to circulate the room.
- Students can watch the animation as needed.
- I love that it autorepeats without anyone having to go back to start it up again! No downtime!
- Students quickly learn that if they missed a step, it will circle around and show them again in just a few seconds.
You are free to help the students who are really struggling, while the ones with more basic questions are essentially getting those questions answered by the automation or their student partner.
This is where the real fun in teaching begins!
Need assessment ideas? Click here.
You’ve got this!