Polygons & Coordinate Geometry

For the next few weeks, our class will extend our work in shapes and lines from, Art: Elements of Design, into important mathematical ideas using polygons and coordinate geometry. As the unit unfolds, your child will work with:

• polygons with different numbers of sides, from 3 up to 10.
• polygons whose angles and sides follow certain rules.
• regular polygons.
• similar polygons.

Look for opportunities to talk about shapes and angles with your child. Most of the angles in our rooms and on our furniture are right angles (90°) Why is this? When you and your child try to draw angles of a certain of degrees - without any tools, just estimating - how close can both of you come? Is a square a rectangle? Is a rectangle a square? Equilateral triangles have 60° angles. Diagonals across a square make 45° angles. Do you see any of these angles on game boards or game spinners. What other angles do you see?

Above all, see how much fun geometry can be!