Ben Hiromura

EE 333
Assignment #7
The study of geometry in school is the teaching of a certain way of temporal-spatial
thinking in which students should be able to predict and reason with shapes. Much of the time
educators view geometry as the teaching of vocabulary, however to be truly effective, the
teaching of geometry must present students with conceptual understandings behind the
vernacular so they can adequately communicate geometrically. As pointed out the publication,
Adding It Up, conceptual understanding lies at the center of all mathematical mastery, and is no
different for the teaching of geometry. In order to garner such conceptual understandings in
geometry students must be given opportunities to experiment with different shapes from a very
young age in order to increase their familiarity with the attributes and elicit flexibility in the way
these students see certain shapes. One way to give students the opportunity to experiment with
shapes is by planning activities surrounding the use of pattern blocks. These wooden or plastic
blocks come in six different shapes, all demarcated by a certain color. This special feature allows
young children to communicate and organize the blocks without learning the vocabulary terms
for each. These blocks also have the special quality of fitting well together due to the similarities
in side lengths and complimentary nature of the angles. Thus, students can begin see how shapes
fit with other shapes and how shapes can be put together in order to make others.
As students grow older, geometric experimentation should not be limited. Older students
are expected to classify shapes based upon their distinguishing attributes. Many teachers fall into
the trap of explicitly modeling shapes in their perfect, traditional forms. For example, a teacher
might present the concept of squares to students by drawing a traditional upright box. The
problem with this is that students develop a limited prototype for square-ness and are thus not
able to flexibly reason with the shape. One productive teaching method to combat this
conceptual inflexibility is to use a Geoboard with elastic bands. This plastic mat has a tiny 3-D
spiked grid that allows students to make shapes with elastic bands. Teachers can have students
make as many squares as possible on their Geoboards as a way of bringing out the creativity and
flexibility in student thinking. Many students will naturally gravitate toward the traditional,
upright view of the square, but others will look diagonally in order to find more possibilities.
This allows students to view shapes in different orientations, sizes, and connection points.
Another matter in geometry is the sorting and organizing of shapes based on their
attributes. Many teachers merely define a shape, say a triangle, and then have them identify

triangles around the room. This works in cementing the students identification of triangles, but
speaks nothing to the relationships between side lengths and angles in a triangle. Students should
be given hands-on experience with the shapes as a way of bringing out the unique geometric
concepts. One way to do this is to have students make triangles out of different size straws and
pipe cleaners and then having a group sort. As students sort the different size triangles, they
begin to engage in discussions about side length, angle size, and overall skinniness or equality.
Naturally students will sort the triangles into groups of equilateral, isosceles, and scalene
triangles, which is the teachers opportunity to bring in the vocabulary concepts. Basically, when
teaching geometry, the vocabulary must only be presented when it will be useful and productive
to students in discussion. If vocabulary is taught first, before shape investigation, the words will
most likely be forgotten. Overall, geometry is a way of mathematical thinking that goes far
deeper than mere vocabulary, and necessitates hands-on student experimentation.

Works Cited
Kilpatrick, J., Swafford, J., Findell, B., & National Research Council (U.S.). (2001). Adding it
up: Helping children learn mathematics. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.