Lines, Rays, and Angles

This fourth grade geometry lesson teaches the definitions for a line, ray, angle, acute angle,
right angle, and obtuse angle. We also study how the size of the angle is ONLY determined
by how much it has "opened" as compared to the whole circle. The lesson contains many
varied exercises for students.

   
A
     
This is point A. When two points are connected with a straight The sides of a
Points are named   line, we get a line segment. We call this line   triangle
with capital segment AB or line segment AB (note the bar on are line segments.
letters. top).  

A line has no beginning point or end point. Imagine it continuing indefinitely in both
directions.
We can illustrate that by  little arrows on both ends.

       
We can name a line using two points on it. This is line EF or line (note the arrowheads).
Or, we can name a line using a lowercase letter: this is line s.

A ray starts out at a point and continues off to infinity. We can show
that by drawing an arrow at one end of the ray. Think of the sun's rays:
they start at the sun and go on indefinitely.
We can name a ray using its starting point and one other point that is
on the ray: this is ray QP or ray (note the one arrowhead). Or, we can
name a ray using a lowercase letter: this is ray r.
         
What is an angle? Many people think that an angle is some kind
of
slanted line. But in geometry an angle is made up of two rays
that
have the same beginning point.

That point is called the vertex and the two rays are called the
sides
of the angle.

To name an angle, we use three points, listing the vertex in the

middle.
This is angle DEF or ∠DEF. We can use the symbol ∠ for angle.
                                  

1. Write if each figure is a line, ray, line segment, or an angle, and name it.

   

a.  b.  c. 

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________

d.  e.  f. 

_______________________ _______________________ _______________________

2. a. Find the angle formed by the rays DE and DF.

        How do we name it?

    b. Find the angle formed by the rays CA and CE.

        How do we name it?

    c. What is BD? (a line, a line segment, or a ray)?

 
3. a. Draw two points, D and E. Then draw line DE.
    b. Draw point Q not on the line.
    c. Draw rays DQ and EQ.
    d. Find angles EDQ and DEQ in your drawing.

 Imagine that the two sides of the angle start side by side, and then
 open up to a certain point. When the two sides “open up”, they
     draw
an imaginary arc of a circle. (You can illustrate this with two pencils as the
two sides of an angle. Keep one pencil stationary while you rotate the other.)

If the angle opens up to a full
circle, we say the angle is
360 degrees (360°).
This angle is half of the full
circle,  
so it measures 180°. It is called
the straight angle. This is one-fourth of the
full circle, so it is 90°.
Your two pencils (rays) are
lying This is called the right
down flat or straight on the angle. Table and book
floor. corners are right angles.

        

In each of these pictures the angle is opened more and more and The angle is opened even
keeps getting bigger. The arc of the circle is larger. more now. It is an obtuse
angle: an angle that is
These angles are acute angles, which means they are less than a more than a right angle,
right angle (less than 90°). Think of acute angles as sharp yet less than a straight
angles. If someone stabbed you with the vertex of an acute angle, angle.
it would feel sharp.
Think of obtuse angles as
  dull angles.
 
Here's
another way
of thinking
about angles.
Think of a
sun rising in
the morning
in the
horizon,
gradually
getting
higher, and
traveling
through the
sky along an
arc of a
circle.

How big is the angle?

It does not matter how long the sides of the angle are. Remember, they are rays, and rays go
on indefinitely. But when we draw them on paper, we have to draw them as ending
somewhere. 
The sides of the angle might even seem to have different lengths. That doesn't matter
either. The size of the angle is ONLY determined by how much it has “opened” as
compared to the whole circle. Think how big an arc of a circle the sides have drawn, as
compared to a whole circle. 

Which of these two angles is bigger?

Look at how much the angle has opened?
 
How big a part of a circle have the sides drawn?
The second angle (on the right) is bigger.
       
Many times the arrows are omitted from the rays,
and the
arc of the circle is drawn as a tiny arc near the
vertex.  
Even that is not necessary. Which of these is a
bigger angle?
Again, the second one.

4. Which angle is bigger?

      
b  O c O
a.    OR
  . R . R

 
d O e   O
f. 
. R . OR R
 

5. a. Sketch three different

        acute angles.

    b. Sketch three different

        obtuse angles.

    c. Sketch a right angle

        and a straight angle.

6. Label the angles as acute, right, obtuse, or straight. To help, make these angles with two
pencils,
    checking how much you need to open up the angle.

a.  b.  c. 

d.  e.  f. 

 g.  h.  i. 

 
7. A triangle has three angles. In fact, the word tri-angle means a three-angled shape.
    Which of the
triangles 
    a, b, or c has one
    obtuse angle?
a.  b.  c. 
   
    Which has one
right angle?

8. (Optional) Make a geometry notebook where you write down each new term and draw a
picture or
    pictures that illustrate the term. Use colors and tidy writing. It is like your personal
geometry
    dictionary. You can also do any drawing problems from the lessons in it. Drawing and
writing
    yourself, instead of just reading, can help you remember the terms better!

New Terms

 a line
 an acute angle
 a line segment
 a right angle
 a ray
 an obtuse angle
 an angle
 a straight angle

This lesson is taken from Maria Miller's book Math Mammoth Geometry 1, and posted at www.HomeschoolMath.net
with permission from the author. Copyright © Maria Miller.

Numbers with Whole Thousands

Free lesson for 4th grade math
On this number line you see whole thousands from one thousand to fifteen thousand.

7 8 , 0 0 0   Read:  78 thousand
Read:  153
The colored digits are the “thousands period” 1 5 3,0 0 0 
thousand
and count as the whole thousands. Read the Read:  802
colored digits as its own number. Say the word 8 0 2,0 0 0 
thousand
“thousand” for the comma. Read:  990
9 9 0,0 0 0 
We continue with whole thousands until reaching thousand
a thousand thousands. Read:  999
9 9 9,0 0 0 
thousand
That number has a new name: one million. 1,0 0 0,0 0
  Thousand thousand
0
    = 1 million

Read:  17 thousand five hundred

1 7,5 4 4 
forty four
The rest of the digits tell us our
Read:  609 thousand two hundred
hundreds, tens, and ones 6 0 9 , 2 3 0 
thirty
just like you have learned.
7 0,0 8 0  Read:  70 thousand eighty
 
9 0 2,0 0 5  Read:  902 thousand five

1. Place a comma in the number. Fill in the missing parts.

a.  1 6 4 0 0 0 b.  9 2 0 0 0 c.  3 0 9 0 0 0 d.  3 4 0 0 0

______ thousand ______ thousand ______ thousand ______ thousand

2. Place a comma in the number. Fill in missing parts. Read the numbers aloud.

a.  1 6 4,4 5 3 b.  9 2 9 0 8 c.  3 2 9 0 3 3

  1 6 4  thousand   4 5 3 ______ thousand ______ ______ thousand ______

e.  5 5 0 0 5 3 f.  7 2 0 0 1 g.  8 0 0 0 0 4

______ thousand ______ ______ thousand ______ ______ thousand ______

3. Read these numbers aloud.

    a. 456,098   b.  950,050 c. 23,090 d. 560,008

    e. 78,304   f.  266,894 g. 1,000,000 h. 306,700

4. Think in whole thousands and add!

  a.  30,000 + 5,000 = b.  200,000 + 1,000 =

        think: 30 thousand + 5 thousand

  c.  400,000 + 30,000 = d.  710,000 + 40,000 =

  e.  300,000 + 700,000 = f.  700,000 + 70,000 =

5. Add and subtract, thinking in whole thousands.

 a.  35,000 + 5,000 = b.  711,000 + 10,000 =

 c.  420,000 + 30,000 = d.  700,000 –  70,000 =

 e.  300,000 –  60,000 = f.  1,000,000 – 200,000 =

 g.  30,000 – 5,000 = h.  200,000 –  6,000 =

 i.  723,000 – 400,000 = j.  500,000 – 1,000 =

 
6. On the number line below, 510,000 and 520,000 are marked (at the “posts”).
    Write the numbers that correspond to the dots.

    

7. Make a number line from 320,000 to 340,000 with tick-marks at every whole
    thousand, similar to the one above. Then mark the following numbers on the
    number line:
    323,000   328,000   335,000  329,000  330,000

Parallel and Perpendicular Lines

This lesson explains what are parallel and perpendicular lines and has varied exercises for the
students. The lesson also includes a video where I show how to draw a perpendicular line and
a rectangle using a protractor or a triangular ruler.
Two lines or line segments
can either intersect (cross)
each other or be parallel. 
Think of the parallel lines
as never meeting each
other, no matter how much
you would continue them These lines are parallel.
to both directions. These lines intersect.

   
We say two lines or line
segments are
perpendicular if they
form a right angle (or
several right angles).
   
We can mark a right angle
with a little corner . The line segments AB
How many right angles
do lines u and t form? and BC are perpendicular.

1. What about these lines? Do they intersect or are they

    parallel? Continue the lines with your ruler.

2. Which line segments in these figures are parallel? Which are perpendicular?

a. Line segments AB and BC

    are ____________________________________.
    Line segments AD and BC
    are ____________________________________.    

b. Line segments EF and GH

    are ____________________________________.
    Line segments EH and FG
    are ____________________________________.
   
How to draw a right angle (perpendicular line) and a
rectangle
In the video below, I show you how to a right angle (or a perpendicular line to a given line)
using either a protractor or a triangular ruler. I also show how to draw a line perpendicular to
a given line through a point on the line, or through a point not on the line. Lastly, I draw a
rectangle with given side lengths, using a protractor to make right angles, and a regular ruler
to measure the sides.

How to draw a line that is perpendicular to a given line

First, draw a point on the given line. Next you will need a
protractor or a triangular ruler.

1) Using a protractor:  
Align the dot and the straight side of your protractor. Draw the line.
Also align your existing line and the 90° mark on the
protractor.

2) Using a triangular ruler:  

Draw the line.

Align the inside edge with the given line.
Align the dot with the outside edge.

3. Draw perpendicular lines through these points.

 
4. Draw a line that is perpendicular to the given line and goes through the given point.

5. Complete these drawings so you get:  a) a rectangle;   b) a square. Use a protractor or a

triangular
    ruler to make sure the lines you draw are perpendicular to the existing lines.

a. b.

 
6. a. Draw here any triangle that has a right angle. It is called a right triangle.
        (Hint: Start by drawing two lines that are perpendicular.)

    b. Find the perimeter of your triangle in centimeters/millimeters.

Draw a line that is parallel to a given line. Method 1: A ruler.

Align the bottom side of the ruler with an existing line.

Then draw a line above the top of the ruler.
You can carefully slide the ruler up or down if you need

the parallel line to be further or closer to the existing

line.
Doing that means the drawing may not be totally
accurate, though.

Method 2: A protractor.

     
I. Draw a point on the given II. If the line is not long III. Draw a perpendicular
line. Then draw a enough, you can continue it line. Make that line longer
perpendicular line through using a normal ruler. Then, using a normal ruler. All
that point. draw a point on it. done!
 
 
7. Sketch many lines that are
    parallel to this line. Use  
    method 1. Then draw one
    line that is perpendicular
    to them all!

9. Draw a square with 5 cm sides.

    Hint: first draw a line, longer than 5 cm.
    Mark two points on it, 5 cm apart. Now
    draw two lines perpendicular to your
    starting line that go through those points.

 
 

10. Find rays, lines, and line segments that are either parallel or perpendicular to each other.
You can use
      these shorthand notations: ∥ for parallel and  ⊥ for perpendicular.
      For example, l ∥ m means l is parallel to m, and AB ⊥ CD means AB is perpendicular to
CD.

b.

Acute, Obtuse, and Right Triangles

This is a free geometry lesson for 4th grade about acute, obtuse, and right triangles
(classification according to angles). It contains varied exercises, including several where
students explore these concepts -- and even the angle sum of a triangle -- by drawing.

    

right angles obtuse angles acute angles

(exactly 90°) (more than 90°, less than 180°) (less than 90°)
  
  Acute triangles have three
Right triangles have  Obtuse triangles have acute angles. In other words,
exactly one right angle. exactly one obtuse angle. ALL the angles are acute.
 
1. a. Draw a right angle. Then
        make it into a right triangle
        by drawing in the third
side. 
 

     b. Draw another, different

 
         right triangle.

   

   c. A right triangle has one  

right
       angle. Are the other two  
angles
       in a right triangle acute,
right,
       or obtuse?

A right triangle has one right angle. The other two angles are
_____________________.

2. a. Draw an obtuse angle.  

        Then make it into an
        obtuse triangle by
        drawing in the third side.
  

   

    b. Draw another, different

        obtuse triangle.

    c. An obtuse triangle has

one
        obtuse angle. Are the
other
 
        two angles in a obtuse
triangle
        acute, right, or obtuse?

An obtuse triangle has one obtuse angle. The other two angles are
_____________________.
 
3. a. Draw an acute triangle.
        The side lengths can be
any.

    b. Measure its angles.

        They measure _______°,

 
        _______°, and _______°.

4. Observe all you have done thus far in this lesson, and fill in.

Right triangles have exactly 1  _________________    ________________,

 and the other two angles are _________________ .

Obtuse triangles have exactly 1  _________________    ________________,

and the other two angles are _________________ .

Acute triangles have ___    ____________ angles.

5. Label the triangles in the pictures as right, acute, or obtuse.

a. b. c. d.
       

e. f. g.

     

7. a. Draw a triangle with  

        85° and 40° angles.
         Hint: First draw a 85° angle.  
         Then, mark a point anywhere on
one
         side of that angle to be the
second
         vertex of the triangle. Use that
point
         as a vertex for the 40° angle, and
         draw the 40° angle.

    b. Measure the third angle.

        It is _______ degrees.

    c. What kind of triangle is it?

        (acute, right, obtuse)
    d. What is the angle sum?
   

8. a. Draw a triangle with

        125° and 40° angles.

    b. Measure the third angle.

        It is _______ degrees.
 
    c. What kind of triangle is it?
        (acute, right, obtuse)

    d. What is the angle sum?

 
 
   
9. a. Draw a triangle with
        55° and 35° angles.
 
    b. Measure the third angle. 
        It is _______ degrees. 
 
    c. What kind of triangle is it?
        (acute, right, obtuse)

    d. What is the angle sum?

This lesson lets students find (by measuring) that angle sum in a triangle is 180°. The lesson
also contains a simple proof of this fact and varied exercises.

The angle sum of a Triangle is 180° - lesson

with proof & varied exercises
1. Draw ANY triangle you like here.
    (Use a ruler!) Measure all its
    angles. Calculate the angle sum.

    It is ______°.

 
 

2. Draw another triangle here.

    Measure all its angles.
    Calculate the angle sum.

    It is ______°.

Above, you probably made a guess that the sum of the angles in a triangle is 180°. 
That is true. Here is a proof for it. Proof means that we use already established principles to
prove
that some new statement is always true. See if you can understand the reasoning in this proof!

We draw a line parallel to AB that passes

through point C.
Angles C and C' are vertical angles,
  therefore ∠C = ∠C'.
Angles B and B' are corresponding angles,
therefore ∠B = ∠B'.

Angles A and A' are corresponding angles, therefore ∠A = ∠A'.

So, the angle sum ∠A + ∠B + ∠C is equal to the angle sum ∠A' + ∠B' + ∠C'.
The three angles A', B', and C' form together a straight angle (they are along the line l).
So, their angle sum is 180°. But then the angle sum ∠A + ∠B + ∠C must also be 180°.

3. Calculate the angle marked with the question mark. Do not measure.

    a.    b. c.  

4. A certain triangle has three equal angles.

    What is the measure of each angle? _______°
    Draw one using your protractor.
    Make each of its sides 5 cm long.
    This triangle has a special name.
    What is it?

5. Can you draw a triangle that has

    two obtuse angles?
    Why or why not?

6. a. Draw a triangle with 65° and 50° angles, with

        a 7.5-cm side between those two angles.
         Start out by drawing the 7.5-cm side.
    b. Calculate the third angle. It is  _______°.
        Then measure from your triangle to check.
    c. Classify your triangle according to its
        sides and angles:
        It is _________________________
        and _________________________.

Calculate the angle marked with “?”.

 Equilateral, Isosceles, and Scalene
Triangles
This 5th grade geometry lesson defines equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles, and has a
variety of exercises, including drawing exercises, about these topics for students.

If all three sides of a triangle are
congruent (the same length), it is
called an equilateral triangle.
Equi- refers to things that are the
“same” or “equal”, and lateral means
“sided.” Think of it as a “same-sided”
triangle.
If just two of a triangle’s sides are congruent, then
it is called an isosceles triangle.
Think of it as a “same-legged” triangle, the “legs”
being the two sides that are the same length.
Mark the two congruent sides of each isosceles
triangle:

Lastly, if none of the sides of a triangle are

congruent (all are different lengths), it is a
scalene triangle.

 
1. Classify the
triangles by
    the lengths of
their sides
    as either
equilateral,
    isosceles, or
scalene.

    You can mark

each
    triangle with an
“e,” “i,”
    or “s”
correspondingly.

2. Fill in the table by classifying the triangles labeled as (a), (d), (e), and (g) above as “acute,”
“right,”
    or “obtuse” (by their angles), and also as “equilateral,” “isosceles,” or “scalene” (by their
sides).

Triangle Classification by the sides Classification by the angles

a    

d    

e    

g    

3. Plot the points, and connect them with line

    segments to form two triangles. Classify
    the triangles by their angles and sides.

    Triangle 1: (0, 0), (4, 0), (0, 4)

    ___________________________ and

    ___________________________
 

    Triangle 2: (5, 5), (1, 8), (9, 4)

    ___________________________ and

    ___________________________

4. Plot in the coordinate grid an acute scalene triangle.

 

6. a. Draw a scalene obtuse triangle where one side is 3 cm and another is 7 cm.
          Hint: Draw the 7-cm side first, then the 3-cm side forming any obtuse angle with the first side.

    b. Measure the third side.

        Compare your triangle to those of your classmates, or draw another one yourself.
        Can you draw several different-looking triangles with this information,
        or are they all identical (congruent)?
 

7. a. Draw an isosceles right triangle whose two sides measure 5 cm.

          Hint: Draw a right angle first. Then, measure off the 5-cm sides. Then draw in the last side.

    b. Measure the third side.  It is ____________ cm.

        Compare your triangle to those of your classmates, or draw another one yourself.
        Can you draw several different-looking triangles with this information,
        or are they all identical (congruent)?

8. a. Draw any isosceles triangle.

          Hint: Draw any angle. Then, measure off the two congruent sides, making sure they have the
same length.
          Then draw the last side.

    b. Measure the angles of your triangle. They measure ________ °, ________ °, and
________ ° .

        The angle sum is ________ ° .

 

9. Measure all the angles in the isosceles triangles (a) and (b).
    Continue their sides, if necessary.

a.

b.
_________ °, _________ °, and
_________ °, _________ °, and ________ ° . ________ °.

       The angle sum is ________ ° .        The angle sum is ________ °
.

    What do you notice?

   
___________________________________________________________________________
_______

   
___________________________________________________________________________
_______
There are two angles in an isosceles triangle that have Can you find the top angle and
the same angle measure. They are called the base angles. the
The remaining angle is called the top angle. base angles in this isosceles
triangle?

10. The angle at A measures 40°. Draw another angle of 40° at B, and then continue its side
      so that you get an isosceles triangle with 40° base angles.

      Measure the top angle. It is _______ ° . The three angle measures add up to _______ ° .

11. a. Draw an isosceles triangle with 75° base angles. (The length of the sides can be
anything.)
             Hint: start by drawing the base side (of any length). Then, draw the 75° angles.

      b. Measure the top angle. It is _______ ° . The three angle measures add up to _______
°.

      c. Compare your triangle to those of your classmates, or draw another one yourself.
          Can you draw several different-looking triangles with this information, or are they all
identical?

14. a. Could an equilateral triangle be a right triangle?

          If yes, sketch an example. If not, explain why not.
 
      b. Could a scalene triangle be obtuse?
          If yes, sketch an example. If not, explain why not.
      c. Could an acute triangle be scalene?
          If yes, sketch an example. If not, explain why not.

      d. Could a right triangle be scalene?

          If yes, sketch an example. If not, explain why not.

      e. Could an obtuse triangle be equilateral?

          If yes, sketch an example. If not, explain why not.

his 5th grade lesson presents the terms radius, diameter, and circumference of a circle, and
helps students learn to use a compass to draw circles and simple circle designs.

Circles
These are ovals. They are
These symmetric and round, but
figures they
are round, are still not circles. Why not?
but
they are not What makes a circle?
circles. 

The difference between other round figures and circles is this:

In a circle, the distance from the center point to the actual
circle line, or circumference of the circle, remains the same.
This distance is called the radius of the circle.
In other words, all the points on the circumference are   
AT THE SAME DISTANCE from the center point. 

This distance from the

A line through the
center point to any point
center point is called
on the circumference is
a diameter.
called the radius.
      

1. Draw a radius or a diameter from the given point. Use a ruler. Look at the example.
    

Here, a radius is drawn a. Draw a radius b. Draw a radius from 

from the given point.     from the given point.     each of the given points.

d. Draw a diameter for  

    the smaller circle and
    a diameter for the bigger e. Draw a radius from the
c. Draw a diameter     circle from the given     point A and a diameter
    from the given point. points.     from the point B.

2. Learn to use a compass to draw circles.

    a. Draw many circles with the compass.
    b. Now, set the radius on the compass to be 3 cm, and draw a circle.
        You can do that by placing the compass next to a ruler, and adjusting
        the radius of the compass until it is 3 cm as measured by the ruler.
        Some compasses show the radius for you, so you won't need a ruler.
    c. Draw a circle with a radius of 5 cm.
    d. Draw a circle with a radius of 1 ½ in.

3. a. Draw two diagonals into this square.

Draw a point
        where they cross (the center point of the
square).
        Now, erase the lines you drew, leaving
the point.
    b. Draw a circle around the square so that it
touches
        the vertices of the square. Use the point
you drew
        in (a) as the center point.
    c. Fill in:  The _____________________ of
the circle
        has the same length as the diagonal of the
square.
 
4. a. Draw a circle inside this square so that it
touches
        the sides of the square but will not cross
over them.  
    b. Fill in:  The _____________________ of
the square
        has the same length as the diameter of the
circle.

     You can repeat or practice exercises #3

and #4 in
     your notebook.
 

5. a. Draw a circle with center point (5, 6)

        and a radius of 2 units. Use a compass.
    b. Draw another circle with the same center
        point, but double the radius.

6. Draw these figures using a compass and a ruler only in your notebook. The copies
you draw do
    not have to be the same exact size as here; they just need to show the same pattern.
See hints at
     the bottom of this page. Optionally, you can also draw these in drawing software.

    a. 

 
    b.             

    c. 

    d.   

    See https://homeschoolmath.blogspot.com/2013/02/geometric-art-project-seven-circle.html

    for one more circle design / art project!
      a. Hint: Draw a line. Then, draw the three center points on it, equally spaced.
      b. Hint: First, draw the three center points for the three circles, equally spaced.
          What is the radius of the big circle compared to the radius of the small ones?
      c. Hint: What pattern is there in the radii of these circles? These circles are called concentric circles because they share the same center point.
      d. Hint: You need to draw the outer square first. Then measure and divide it into quarters. Measure
         to draw the center points of the circles (they are  midpoints of the sides of the smaller squares).

Line Symmetry
This is a free geometry lesson on line symmetry for grades 3-4. It contains both teaching and
varied exercises for the students.

These figures are symmetrical in relation to the dashed

line.
The line is called a symmetry line. What does that
mean?
Imagine that you folded the figure along the symmetry          
line.    
Then both sides would exactly meet. Or, if you placed
a mirror along the symmetry line, you would see the
other half of the figure reflected in the mirror.

Many figures are not symmetrical at all.

You cannot draw a symmetry line in them.
     

1. Is the line drawn a symmetry line for the figure? You can cut out the images and fold them
along the
    dashed line to check.
    a.

b. c.
     
    d.
 

e. f.
     
     

    g. h. i. 
 Some shapes you can fold in two different ways
so that the sides meet. The cross-shape
on the right has two different symmetry lines.
          

2. Draw as many different symmetry lines as you can into these shapes.

 
a. b. 

c.
d.

e.         

f.               

3. Write the capital letters in which you can draw a symmetry line. Draw the symmetry lines
in them.

 
 
4. Draw a mirror image in the symmetry line to get a symmetrical figure.

a. b.

c.

d. Continue the pattern.

Then e. Draw your own design f. Draw your own design
    draw its mirror image.    and find its mirror image.    and find its mirror image.

5. Examining logos.  Look for logos on food products, cars, stores, magazines, and so on.
Find at least
    three logos that have symmetry. Sketch them below. Answer the questions a. and b. for
each logo.
    a. Does the logo employ a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, or some other basic
geometric
        figure in some way?
    b. Does it have any symmetry?

This lesson is taken from Maria Miller's book Math Mammoth Early Geometry, and posted at
www.HomeschoolMath.net with permission from the author. Copyright © Maria Miller.

How to construct an altitude to a triangle

You are given a First draw a circle using A Then draw a second circle
triangle. as a center point and using B as center point and
The task is to draw an the line segment AC as the the line segment BC as the
altitude through C. radius. radius.

1. Time to practice! Draw an altitude to each triangle from the top vertex. Notice the second
triangle is
    obtuse, so the altitude will be outside of the triangle.
 

   

2. Draw all three altitudes to this triangle. Can you notice something special about
    the three altitudes you draw?
Basic shapes - review
This is a review lesson about basic shapes (polygons), meant for third grade. It contains
varied hands-on (drawing) exercises and tilings about triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and
hexagons.

If a shape has three vertices If a shape has FOUR vertices and four sides,
(corners) it is a quadrilateral, or a four-sided shape.
and three sides, it is a triangle. “Quadri” means four, and “lateral” refers to
  sides.

If a shape has FIVE vertices If a shape has SIX vertices

and five sides, it is a pentagon. and six sides, it is a hexagon.

Seven-sided figure = heptagon Nine-sided figure = nonagon

Eight-sided figure = octagon Ten-sided figure = decagon

1. Draw two pentagons here by drawing

    dots and connecting them with lines.
    Remember, your pentagons don't
    have to look “regular” or nice. You
    can draw them to look “funny,” too,
    as long as they have five sides and
    five vertices.

2. What shape is formed if you place the bolded sides of the two figures together?
    You can trace the shapes and cut them out.
  
 
b. 
  ____________________________________
a.
_________________________________
___

   

c. d.
_________________________________ ____________________________________
___

3. Draw a straight line or lines through the shape and divide it into other shapes!

   
a. a square and a b. a triangle and a  
rectangle pentagon c. three rectangles

     
d. two quadrilaterals e. two parts that are f. four triangles
    that are not rectangles     exactly the same shape  

h. a triangle and a
g. four triangles pentagon i. four quadrilaterals
4. Divide the pentagon and the hexagon into new shapes using one straight line.
Notice: your
    line does NOT have to go from corner to corner. Write what new shapes you get.

a. b.

c. d.

5. Continue the tilings so they fill the grids, and name what shape(s) are used in the
tiling.

a.  ________________________ b.  ________________________

 c.  ________________________ and  ________________________

6. Design your own tilings here.

Perimeter - a lesson with video and varied
exercises
This third grade geometry lesson explains the concept of perimeter and has varied exercises
for students. The included video explains some of the same ideas.

Perimeter means the “walk-around measure,” or the distance you go if you

walk all
the way around the figure.
The word comes from the Greek word perimetros. In it, peri means 'around'
and metros
means 'measure'.

To find the perimeter of this rectangle, count the units as you

go
around the figure. You can think of running or hopping around
the figure.
The units are marked with little arrows in the picture. The top side is
four units long. The right side is two units long. Make sure you understand
that!
So, what is the perimeter?  _______ units

Here it is trickier to count those little units. Be careful!

How many units is the perimeter?  _______ units

1. Find the perimeter of these figures. Your answer will be so many units. P means
perimeter.
a. b.   c.  

P=        P= P=
units  _______________ _______________

d.   e.   f.  

P= P= P=
_______________ _______________ _______________

2. Measure with a ruler to find the perimeter of these figures in centimeters.

a.   b.  

P = ____________ cm P = ____________ cm
c.

   

To find the perimeter, simply

add all the side lengths.
How many units is the perimeter
of the triangle on the right?
It is 8 + 9 + 10 units, or _______ units.

Often you need to figure out some

side lengths that are not given.
What side lengths are not given?
The perimeter is _______ cm.

Don't forget the unit of measurement in your answer.

If the side lengths are in centimeters, the perimeter will be so-many centimeters.
If the side lengths are “plain numbers” without any particular unit, then the
perimeter is so-many units.

4. Find the perimeter. Notice: some side lengths are not given! Don't forget to use
either “cm”
    or “in.” or “units” in your answer.

a. b.   c.  

    6  

P=         P= P=
units    ________________ ________________
5. Find the perimeter....

    a.  ...of a square with 7-in. sides

    b.  ...of a square with 13-cm sides

Area of rectangles - free lesson with a video

This lesson contains teaching and lots of varied exercises about the area of rectangles,
common units of area, two-part rectangles and the distributive property, and shapes
composed of rectangular areas. It best suits 4th or 5th grade.

The video below shows you some varied exercises tying in with the area of rectangles.

Area is always measured in squares of some size. We use the superscript “2” with a unit of
length to indicate the “squaring”. For example, 120 cm2 means 120 square centimeters.

Each tiny square has an area of

The area of this square is 1 square millimeter, or 1 mm2.
1 square centimeter, or 1 cm2. The area of the whole square
         is 10 mm × 10 mm = 100 mm2.

If no particular unit of length is given

You can use multiplication for the sides of a rectangle, we just
to find how many square The area of this use the word “unit” for the side
inches this rectangle covers: square is lengths. The area is then
2 in. × 4 in. = 8 in2. 1 mi. × 1 mi. = 1 7 units × 4 units = 28 square units.
square mile, or 1 mi2

If the figure is some other shape than a rectangle, we will still

use little squares to measure its area. It is just more difficult
to find out how many little squares it covers, and we may
have to use partial (fractional) squares as well.
    

1. Write a multiplication to calculate the area of these rectangles. Include the units!
 a.   b.   c.

A = _______ × _______ A = _______ × _______ A = _______ × _______

    = ________________     = ________________     = ________________

2. Find the missing measurements.

   a. b. c.
 
 
3. Write a multiplication with an unknown (an equation) for the area. Then solve.

a.   b.  

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

4. Write a multiplication with an unknown (an equation) for the area. Then solve.
    a. The area of a rectangle is 45 m., and its one side measures 9 m.
        How long is the other side (s)?

    ________________________________________________________

 
    b. The area of a rectangular field is 1,800 ft2, and its one side measures 60 ft.
        How long is the other side (s)?

    ________________________________________________________

 
5. This is the bottom plan for a doghouse. In the grid, the side of each
     little square is 6 inches in reality.

    a. What is the area of the doghouse in square inches?

    b. Figure out the side lengths in feet.

        Then calculate the area in square feet.

If we think of this rectangle as two rectangles,

 3
we can write its area as  3 × 3   +   3 × 5.
But if we think of it as one rectangle with side lengths 3
units
and (3 + 5) units, then we can write its area as  3 × (3 + 5).
 
So, thinking of it as one rectangle or two rectangles, we get:
3+5
3 × (3 + 5)   =   3×3 + 3×5
area of the area of the area of the
whole rectangle
    second part
first part

6. Write a number sentence for the total area, thinking of one rectangle or two.

a. ___ ×  ( ___ + ___ )   =   ___ × ___ + ___ × ___

area of the area of the area of the
     
whole rectangle first part second part

b. ___ ×  ( ___ + ___ )   =   ___ × ___ + ___ × ___

area of the area of the area of the
     
whole rectangle first part second part

7. This is a plan for a two-part clubhouse.

    a. Write a multiplication & addition sentence for the
total area,
        thinking of one rectangle or two. Solve it.
    A = ________ × ( ________ + ________ )

        = ________ ×________  +  ________ ×________

        = ______________________________________

    b. How much larger in area is the part A2 than the part A1?

 
 
 
8. On a separate paper, draw these squares.
    a. a square with an area of 4 square inches. How long is its side? ______________

    b. a square with an area of 9 cm2. How long is its side? ______________

    c. a square with an area of 1 square foot. How long is its side? ______________

9. Write a number sentence (use multiplication, addition, and/or subtraction) for the area of
each figure.

a.

b.

10. The second floor of a doll house has three rooms. One room measures 20 cm by 25 cm,
      the middle room is 40 cm by 25 cm, and the third one is 20 cm by 25 cm.

      a. Draw a sketch of the second floor.

      b. Find its area.

 
 

11. Draw two different L-shapes with an area of at least 20 square units. Write a number
sentence for
      their areas.

a.  _________________________________ b.  _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

12. The picture shows a rectangular piece of land with a house in the
middle.
      The plot of land measures 48 ft by 48 ft, and the house is 30 ft by 20
ft.

      What is the area of the lawn?

13. Find the areas of the shaded figures.

a. 
b.
   
 

 
  

Area of Right Triangles

This lesson presents the idea that the area of any right triangle is exactly half of a certain
rectangle, and contains varied exercises for students. To find the area of any right triangle,
you simply multiply the lengths of the two sides that are perpendicular to each other, and then
take half of that.

This rectangle is divided into two right triangles that are congruent. This means
that
if you could flip one of them and move it on top of the other, they would match
exactly.
The rectangle has an area of 2 × 4 = 8 square units.       
Can you figure out what the area of just one of the triangles is?

Here the area of the whole rectangle is 3 × 5 = 15 square units.

How could you figure out the area of just one of the triangles?
 
  

Here the sides of the triangle are 6 and 3 units. The other two sides of the
rectangle are drawn with dotted lines. The area of the rectangle is 18
square
units. The area of just the triangle is half of that, or 9 square units.

Let’s look closer at the last triangle above. To confirm

that its area is 9 square units, we can count the little
squares in the triangle. 

Notice that some of the parts do not cover a complete

square, but by combining those we can make whole
      squares and then count them.

 
1. Find the area of these right triangles. To help you, trace the “helping rectangle” for the
triangles.
    a. ________ square units

    b. ________ square units

    c. ________ square units

    d. ________ square units

    e. ________ square units

    f. ________ square units

    g. ________ square units

    h. ________ square units

To find the area of a right triangle, multiply the lengths of the two sides that are
perpendicular
to each other (in other words, the two that form the right angle). Then take half of that.

This works because the area of a right triangle is exactly ___________ of the area of the
rectangle.

2. Draw a right triangle whose two perpendicular sides are given below, and then find
its area.

    a.  1.2 cm and 5 cm

    b.  2 1/2 inches and 1 1/4 inches

We can find the area of this house-shape in three parts.

1. The square has an area of 4 × 4 = 16 square units.
2. Triangle 2 has perpendicular sides of 3 and 2 units,
     so its area is (1/2) × 2 × 3 = 3 square units.
3. Triangle 3 is the same shape and size as triangle 2,
    so its area is also 3 square units.
Lastly, add the areas: 16 + 3 + 3 = 22 square units in total.

3. Find the areas of these compound shapes.

a.

 
  b. c.
 
 
 

4. Draw a right triangle whose area is 13 square centimeters.

    Can you only draw one right triangle with that area, or several different kinds?
    Explain.

5. In the grid, draw 3 different right triangles that each have an area of 6 square units.

Area of Parallelograms
This lesson presents the idea that the area of any right triangle is exactly half of a certain
rectangle, and contains varied exercises for students. To find the area of any right triangle,
you simply multiply the lengths of the two sides that are perpendicular to each other, and then
take half of that.

We draw a line from one vertex of the parallelogram The rectangle’s area is 6 × 4 = 24
in square units, and that is also the
order to form a right triangle. Then we move the area of the original
triangle parallelogram.
to the other side, as shown. Look! We get a
rectangle!

It works here, as well. The area of the

rectangle and of the parallelogram are
the same: both have the area of
4 × 4 = 16 square units.

The area of a parallelogram is the same as the area of the corresponding rectangle.
You construct the rectangle by moving a right triangle from one side of the parallelogram
to the other.

1. Imagine moving the marked triangle to the other side as shown. What is the area of the
original parallelogram?

2. Draw a line in each parallelogram to form a right triangle. Imagine moving that triangle to
the other side so that
    you get a rectangle, like in the examples above. Find the area of the rectangle, thereby
finding the area of the
    original parallelogram.

    a. _________
sq. units

    b. _________
sq. units

    c. _________
sq. units

    d. _________
sq. units

One side of the parallelogram is called the  

base.
You can choose any of the four sides to be
the

→
base, but people often use the “bottom”
side.
A line segment that is perpendicular to the
base
and goes from the base to the opposite side
of
the parallelogram is called the altitude.
When we do the trick of “moving the
triangle,” we
 
get a rectangle. One of its sides is congruent
(has the
same length) to the parallelogram’s altitude. →
The
other side is congruent to the
parallelogram’s base.
That is why you can simply multiply 
BASE × ALTITUDE to get the area of a
parallelogram.

3. Draw an altitude to each parallelogram. Highlight or “thicken” the base. Then find the
areas.
    a. _________ sq.
units

    b. _________ sq.

units

    c. _________ sq.

units

    d. _________ sq.

units

    e. _________ sq.

units

4. a. Draw the altitudes to the parallelograms and mark their bases. One parallelogram's
altitude is already
        marked. Notice how that altitude does not “reach” the base, but instead ends at the
continuation of
        the base. That is no problem—what matters is that the altitude is perpendicular to the
base.
    b. Find the areas of these parallelograms. What do you notice?
 

5. Draw as many differently shaped parallelograms as you can that all have an area
of 12 square units.

8. Find the area of the parallelogram in square meters.

  
 

This lesson presents the idea that the area of any triangle is exactly half of a certain
parallelogram -- thus we get the familiar formula of multiplying the base and the altitude, and
taking half of that. The lesson contains varied exercises for students.

Area of Triangles
We can always put any triangle together with
a copy of itself to make a parallelogram.
Therefore, the AREA of any triangle must be
exactly half of the area of that
parallelogram.    

1. Find the area of the shaded triangle in the picture above.

 

2. Draw the corresponding parallelograms for these triangles, and find their areas.
     Hint: draw a line that is congruent to the base of the triangle, starting at the top vertex.
     a. _______ square units b. _______ square units c. _______ square units
   

Since the area of a triangle is half of the area of

the corresponding parallelogram, we can calculate
the area as half of the base times the altitude, or:

BASE × ALTITUDE
A
=
Again, we use a base and an altitude. 2
The base can be any side of the
triangle,
though people often use the “bottom” You can choose any side to be
side. the base. Here, it makes sense to
choose the vertical side as the
The altitude is perpendicular to the base.
base,
and it goes from the opposite vertex to 4×6
The area   = 12 square
the is   units.
base (or to the continuation of the 2
base).

3. Draw an altitude in each triangle, and mark the base. Find the area of each triangle.

b. _______ square units

    a. _______ square units c. _______ square units

Example 1. The altitude of a triangle may fall outside of the

triangle itself. It is still perpendicular to the base, and starts at a
vertex.
The corresponding parallelogram is seen if you follow the dotted
lines.

The area is   4 × 3 = 6 square units.

 2

Example 2. Here it is easiest to think of the base being on the

“top.”
Again, the altitude falls outside the actual triangle.
5×3
The area is = 7 1/2 square units.
2
 
5. This figure is called a _________________________.

   Calculate its area.

      

6. Draw as many different-shaped triangles as you can that have an area of 12 square units.

How to find the area of a triangle not drawn on grid

1. First, choose one of the sides as the base. It can be

any of the sides!
2. Draw the altitude. Use a protractor or a triangular
ruler to draw the
altitude so that it goes through one vertex, and is
perpendicular to
the base. See the illustration.
Place the protractor so that the line you will draw
 will pass through
the vertex and so that the 90°-mark is lined up with
the base of
the triangle.
3. Measure the altitude and base as precisely as you can
with a ruler.
4. Calculate the area.

8. Draw your own triangle, and find its area!

9. Draw a triangle with an area of 3 square inches.

    Is it only possible to draw just one triangle with
    that area, or is it possible draw several, with
    varying shapes/sizes?

10. Draw a triangle, without measuring anything, so that its area is close to 20 cm2.
Check by drawing
      the altitude and measuring! Practice until you get a triangle with an  area of
approximately 20 cm2.

      You can even make a game out of this: whoever gets the area the closest to the given area
is the
      winner or gets the most points. Or, take turns with your friend, asking the friend to draw a
triangle with
      a specific area. Perhaps add a condition that the triangle has to be obtuse/acute/right, or
      equilateral/isosceles/scalene.

Area Versus Perimeter

This lesson contrasts area and perimeter, and has varied exercises for the students about both
concepts. The lesson is meant for grade 3 or 4.

Some concepts and ideas of this lesson are also explained in this video:
Sometimes it's easy to confuse perimeter and
area.

 AREA has to do with covering the

shape with squares. Your answer will be
in square centimeters, square inches,
square feet, square meters, or just square
units. Area: 4 cm × 8 cm = 32 cm2.
 PERIMETER has to do with “going all Perimeter:
the way 4 cm + 8 cm + 4 cm + 8 cm = 24
around.” Your answer will be in some unit cm
of length, such as centimeters, meters,
inches, or feet.

1. Find the area and perimeter of the rectangles. 

a.  b. 

Perimeter = ______________________ Perimeter = ______________________

Area = ______________________ Area = ______________________

c.  4 in. wide, 2 in. tall d.  A square with 3 cm sides

Perimeter = ______________________ Perimeter = ______________________

Area = __________________________ Area = __________________________

2. Find the area and perimeter of this shape.

    Notice that one side length is not given.
    You need to figure that out.

    Area 
 

    Perimeter
 
4. This is a two-part lawn.  

    a. Find the areas of the two parts.

        _____________ and

__________________

    b. Find the total area.

    c. Find the perimeter.

 
5. Find the total area of this rectangle,
    and also the area of each little part.
    Area of each part:
    Total area: