Ms. Bragg's Blog: November 2012

Hello 4th Graders!

I'm sorry I can't be with you today.

Here's your online assignment for this morning...

First, you'll need a neat sheet to show all your work. Make sure that you write you first name and last name on the first line, the date on the second, and the subject and assignment on the third. How many lines should you skip between problems? You'll turn in your neat sheet as evidence of your work... So be sure it's neat and that you write on the lines!

First, you'll login to VMath Live. Your goal is to finish the Geometry Module. Once you've finished that, you can explore other areas of LEARNING. No games during school today please. REMINDER: Please avoid fractions and decimals.

Spend about 15 minutes on VMath. Then you can login to Study Island.

REMINDER: Your passwords are in your agenda.

On Study Island, you have the option of working in "game" or "test" mode. It's up to you! You'll finish an assignment faster if you work in test mode. But sometimes it can be fun to play in game mode. I've given you a Math assignment to work on. It's a blast from the past!

Good luck! And have fun!

Usually, we don't study for math tests... But GEOMETRY has so much VOCABULARY! So it IS a good idea to study for this one. Here is an online study guide, which is intended to help you do just that!

Here's what you NEED to know (from VA's Standards of Learning)...

Click on the words to open a new page with definitions and pictures.
NOTE: The best site for kid-friendly definitions is A Maths Dictionary by Jenny Eather... It's the only dictionary I know of that includes games! But, sadly, I can't link directly to each word within that dictionary... So when you get there, you'll have to search for our target vocabulary terms using the letter index on the left. But it's easy to do! And totally worth it! Suggestion: Print out this blog post so that you have all the terms that you need to know if front of you. Then look them up the "Maths Dictionary"!
Scroll down to the bottom for even more "Ways to Study!"

BASIC GEOMETRY TERMS:

plane: a flat surface that is infinitely large and with zero thickness.
infinite: never ending.
point: a location in space. It has no length, width, or height. A point is usually named with a capital letter.
line: a collection of points going on and on infinitely in both directions. It has no endpoints. When a line is drawn, at least two points on it can be marked and given capital letter names. Arrows must be drawn to show that the line goes on in both directions infinitely:

line segment: part of a line. It has two endpoints and includes all the points between those endpoints. To name a line segment, name the endpoints:

ray: part of a line. It has one endpoint and continues infinitely in one direction. To name a ray, say the name of its endpoint first and then say the name of one other point on the ray:

vertex (plural- vertices): the endpoint(s) where two line segments meet.
angle: Angles are found wherever lines and line segments intersect. An angle can be named in three different ways by using

three letters to name, in this order, a point on one ray, the vertex, and a point on the other ray;
one letter at the vertex; or
a number written inside the rays of the angle.

intersecting lines: lines with one point in common.
perpendicular lines: special intersecting lines that form right angles where they intersect.
parallel lines: lines that lie in the same plane and do not intersect. Parallel lines are always the same distance apart and do not share any points.
right angle: measures 90 degrees; the type of angle found in a square and rectangle.
congruent: the same.

SHAPES:

polygon: a closed plane geometric figure composed of at least three line segments that do not cross. None of the sides are curved.
triangle: a polygon with 3 angles and three sides.
quadrilateral: a polygon with 4 sides.
rectangle: a quadrilateral with 4 right angles.
square: a rectangle with 4 sides of equal length.
trapezoid: a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.
parallelogram: a quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel.
rhombus: a quadrilateral with 4 congruent sides.
pentagon: a 5-sided polygon.
hexagon: a 6-sided polygon.
heptagon: a 7-sided polygon.
octagon: an 8-sided polygon.
nonagon: a 9-sided polygon.
decagon: a 10-sided polygon.
congruent figures: figures having exactly the same size and shape.

MOVEMENT GEOMETRY:

transformation: a flip (reflection), turn (rotation), or slide (translation), where the resulting figure of a translation, reflection, or rotation is congruent to the original figure.
reflection (flip): a transformation in which a figure is flipped over a line called the line of reflection. All corresponding points in the image and preimage are equidistant from the line of reflection.
line of reflection: the line which you "flip" the figure over. It's the same as a "line of symmetry."
equidistant: adjective meaning "the same distance from." Example: If both Cora and I are standing the same distance away from a tree, we are both "equidistant" from that tree.
rotation (turn): a transformation in which an image is formed by turning its pre-image (the "before" image) about a point.
translation (slide): a transformation in which an image is formed by moving every point on figure the same distance in the same direction.