LessonTitle:MeasuringAngles

GradeLevel:35

LessonLength:Approximately2days

NCTMStandard:GeometryStandard,MeasurementStandard

LearningObjectives
1.

Thestudentwillanalyzeandmeasureanglesusingaprotractor.

2.

Thestudentwillidentifyanglesasrightangle,acuteangles,andobtuseangles.

3.

Thestudentwillbuildanddrawright,acute,andobtuseangles.

ConnectiontoBloomsTaxonomy

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Synthesis

LessonMaterials

ConstructionPaper

CrayonsorColoredPencils

Glue

IndexCards

Pencils

Protractor

Toothpicks

Worksheetsforlessonplan3(seesidebar)

MakingConnections
Anglesareaveryimportantconceptingeometrythoughtheyarenotoftenthoughtaboutinourdailylives.
However,anglesimpactourlivesinmorewaysthanwethink.Explaintostudentsthatwealluseangles
withoutevenrealizing.Askstudentstobrainstormhowanglesareusedintheworldaroundus.Createalist
fromthebrainstormingsession.
Discussthefollowingquestions:
1.

Howdopeopleinvariousprofessionsuseanglestocompletetheirwork?

2.

Howdoallpeopleuseanglesintheireverydaylives?

3.

Howdoyou(asachild/student)useangles?

Somepossibleideasincludethefollowing:

Abaseballplayermovesacrossthefieldatvariousanglestocatchaball

Afootballplayerthrowsapassatthecorrectangleforareceivertocatchtheball

Whenparkingacaradriverusestheconceptofanglestoparkinaparticularspace,especially
whenparallelparking

Apilotmaneuversanairplaneusingavarietyofanglestoflyandland

Acontractorusesanglestobuildahouse,aschool,oranystructure

Acookholdsaknifeatvariousanglestochopandpreparefoods

Achildusesanglestobuildaskateboardramporabikejump

Achildskisorsledsatvariousanglestocompleteadownhillrun

Anurseadjustsabedtocreateananglethatiscomfortableforapatient

Astudentplacesbooksonashelfataslightangletopreventthemfromtippingover

Umbrellascanbetiltedatanangelinordertostoprainorprovideshade

ExploringandLearning
1.

Takethestudentsonawalkaroundtheschool,bothinsideandoutside.Havestudentsworkin
pairstoidentifyandlistanglestheyseeinandaroundtheirschool.Thelistmayincludethe
following:bikewheelspokes,pizzaslices,clothinghangers,binders,handsofaclock,a
playgroundslide,anopendoor,doorstopperorwedge,chair,andevenapencilisheldatanangle

whenusedforwriting.
2.

Gathertheclassandaskeachteamtosharetwoexamplesofangles.Createaclasslistofangles
ontheboard,flipchart,oroverhead:

3.

Next,provideeachstudentwithacopyoftheAngleFactsWorksheet(PDF).Guidestudents
througheachbulletontheworksheet.Drawexamplesofastraightline,rightangle,acuteangle
andobtuseangleontheboardoroverhead.

4.

Havestudentscreatevocabularyindexcardswithdrawingsanddefinitionsforeachofthebolded
wordsontheworksheet;vertex,degrees,rightangle,obtuseangel,andacuteangle.

5.

Directstudentattentionbacktotheclasslistgeneratedin#2,above.Askifthereareanyright
anglesonthelist?Mostlikelystudentsdidnotidentifyrightangles.Wetendtoforgetthata
straightcornermeasuring90degreesisactuallyanangle.Instructstudentstolookaroundtheir
classroomandidentifyatleastfiverightangles.Itemsmightincludeatelevisionscreen,computer
monitor,calendar,book,window,andfolder.Thisstepcanberepeatedusingacuteanglesand
obtuseangles.

6.

Presentstudentswiththefollowingscenario:
RGandHannieareworkingattheRaymondGeddesElementarySchoolStore.Theyaresettingup
anewsalesdisplaythatincludesseveraldifferentmathtoolswhichincludesrulersandprotractors.
RGandHanniearenotfamiliarwithaprotractor.
RGasked,Whatisaprotractor?"
CanyouhelpRGandHanniesolvesomeproblemsusingaprotractor?

7.

Tohelpcompletethescenario,askstudentstodefineaprotractor.Explainthataprotractorisa
toolusedtomeasureangles.Askthestudentsiftheyhaveseenorusedaprotractorbefore.

8.

Next,pairstudentstogetherandprovideeachgroupwithaprotractor.Instructstudentstomakea
listofobservationsbasedonthephysicalappearanceoftheprotractor.Createaclasslistof
observationsbyallowingeachgrouptoshare1or2observations.Thelistmayincludethe
following:
o

Itisshapedlikeasemicircle(althoughsomeprotractorscanbeafullcircle)

Itlookslikearuler

Ithasnumberslabeledfrom0to180

Therearetworowsorscalesofnumbers

Theupperscalestartswith0ontheleftsideandincreasesto180ontheright

Thelowerscalestartswith180ontheleftsideanddecreasesto0ontheright

9.

Theupperscalemeasuresangleswithopeningsontheleft

Thelowerscalemeasuresangleswithopeningsontheright

Theprotractorisclearsothattheanglecanbeseenandmeasuredaccurately

Demonstratehowaprotractorisused.Drawanangleonanoverheadtransparencyortheboard.
Alignthestraightedgeoftheprotractoralongthebottomoftheangle.Alignthecenterofthe
protractoratthevertexoftheangle.Usethescaletomeasuretheangleaccordingl.

10. PairstudentstogetherandprovidethemwithacopyofAngleWorksheet.Instructstudentstousea
protractorinordertofindtheangledegreeandthetypeofangle.StudentscanrefertotheAngle
FactsWorksheetforhelpinidentifyingthetypesofangles.
11. Additionalmeasurementandangelidentificationcanbedonebyhavingstudentscreateanglesout
oftoothpicks.Anglescanbecreatedoutofsimpletoothpicksandgluedtoconstructionpaper
creatingasheetofangles.Studentscanexchangeanglesheetsandthenmeasureeachanglewitha
protractor,recordthemeasurementindegrees,andidentifytheangle.
12. Usingthetoothpickmodels,askstudentstoidentifysomeobjectsthatmightresembleorcontain
eachoftheanglescreated.Forexample,arectangleendtablecontainsrightanglesatthecorners,
areclinersetbackmightresembleanobtuseangle,andthebeakofbirdmaylookacute.
13. Providestudentswithcrayonsorcoloredpencilstoturnthetoothpickmodelsintoimagesand
drawings.Displaythecreativeworkofyourstudents.

ExtendedLearningandPractice
1.

Discussanothermeasuringtoolcalledthegeometriccompass.Theschoolstoremightevenhave
theseforsale.Havestudentsresearchwhoinventedthegeometriccompassanditspurpose.They
willlearnthatthegeometriccompasswasinventedbyGalileoandisatoolusedtocreateaperfect
circle.

2.

VisitMathisfun.comforadditionalinformationaboutanglesandprotractors.Thissitehasan
animatedtutorialonhowtouseaprotractorformeasuringangle.Mostanglescanbedefinedas
right,obtuse,oracute.UsingtheMathisfunwebsite,locatethenameofananglethatisexactly
180degrees(straightangle)andonethatisgreaterthan180degrees(reflexangle).

Assessment
ThelessonobjectivescanbeassessedbyevaluatingtheAngleWorksheet(PDF)withtheAngleWorksheet
Key(PDF).UsetheAssessmentofStudentProgress(PDF)toassessstudentsoverallabilitiestomeetthe
lessonslearningobjectiveswhichincludeidentifying,drawing,andbuildingvariousangles.

Closure
Provideeachstudentwithanindexcardandhavethemanswerthefollowingquestionsononesideofthe

indexcard:
1.

Whataretwonewthingsthatyouhavelearned?

2.

Whatelsewouldyouliketolearnaboutthistopic?

Onthebacksideoftheindexcard,instructthestudentstodrawapictureofsomethingtheylearnedabout
duringthislesson.Theindexcardscanbeholepunchedandheldtogetherwithasimpleshowercurtain
ring.

LearningModel
1.

MakingConnections

2.

ExploringandLearning

3.

ExtendedLearningandPractice

4.

Assessment

5.

Closure

LessonWorksheets

AngleFacts

AngleWorksheet

AngleWorksheetKey

AssessmentofStudentProgress

DownloadallWorksheetPDFs
Downloadallworksheets&thelesson.

TeachingStrategies

Brainstorming

Demonstration

GuidedPractice

PairedLearning

Seeteachingstrategiesforalllessons.

LiteraryConnection
SirCumferenceandtheFirstRoundTable:AMathAdventurebyCindyNeuschwnaderisahilarioustale
withaGeometrytwist.TakeyourstudentsbackintimewithKingArthurandhissearchfortheperfectly
shapedtable.YoullbeintroducedtoSirCumference,themightyknight,andhislovelywife,LadyDiof
Ameter.TheyareaidedbytheirsonRadiusandthecarpenterGeoofMetryintheirpursuitofthefirst
roundtable.
Anexcellentconceptualbookthatintroducesdifficultgeometrytermssuchascircumference,radius,and
acuteinafunandhumoroussetting.
Seebookrecommendationsforalllessons.

WordOrigins
GeometryisfromtheLatinwordgeometriaandtheGreekwordgeometria,bothwiththesamespelling,
whichmeansmeasurementormeasureofearthorland.Theprefix,geoorgemeansearthorlandplus
metria,whichmeanstomeasure.Geometryisthestudyofmathematicsthatdealswiththepropertiesand
relationshipsoflines,angles,points,surfacesandsolids.
Seewordoriginsforalllessons.

VocabularyList

Vertex:Themeetingpointoftwolinesorrays

Rightangle:Hasanexactmeasurementof90degrees

Acuteangle:Hasameasurementbetween0and90degrees

Obtuseangle:Hasameasurementbetween90and180degrees

Protractor:Atoolusedtomeasureangles