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A group of students from a middle school geometry class created a geometry web site that integrates art, creative writing, history, math, and technology. The site is divided up into two parts: a geometry tutorial and a game. The tutorial is designed as a fun alternative to textbooks as well as a reference guide for students studying geometry or playing the game. The game is interactive, using skills from the tutorial as students make their way through a geometry mystery. The project is aimed at students in seventh through twelfth grade geometry classes.
As the students created the tutorial they came up with examples and ways to explain geometric concepts to others. They also enhanced their research skills while learning about the history of geometry and how it still applies to our world today. Another real world skill learned during this project was time management, the students used time outside the regular school day to research, design, and program the page. In addition, they learned to collaborate and help each other when necessary.
Aside from the learning experience of the Geogirls group, the website will be a great learning tool for geometry teachers. Because this resource is on-line and includes a game, it can be integrated into math as an activity, reference guide, or both. One goal of this project was helping other geometry students by creating a tutorial and a game to improve, enhance, or just add some fun to classroom learning.
Project Planning: Detail the planning used in development of the project.
The original plan was to create a time and a place for girls to meet outside of class with other girls that shared their ambition and creativity. The project was completely open-ended and left up for the student team to decide, although we did start the intial meeting by looking at the website made by the Super Brainer team last year. The jumping off point for the actual Geogirls site was the idea that the team could make a fun and educational website based on what they were learning in geometry class. The team planned to meet once or twice a week and learn programming, develop graphics, and work on content. The initial idea was to create the educational part first, the Geo-Dictionary, and then get into the game. The actual creation of the page was less structured. Students worked where their strengths and interests were, a couple of students did most of the programming, some did art work, and all contributed to the content and worked together to write the game questions. As we developed our site, we looked at the original Super Brainer site as a model for how to put things together.
Project Goals: Explain the goals of the project and include the Content Standard(s) addressed.
There were several goals for this project. The first was to create a forum for talented and creative girls to explore technology and show off their math ability. Studies have shown that middle school is the age where girls start to "drop out" of math, so to have an outlet outside of math class for the girls to feel comfortable using their skills is a necessity. Another goal was to create a website that could be used as a classroom activity and resource for teachers and students anywhere. Creating bonds between these girls was also a goal. They learned to work together, trust each other, and take pride in their own and each others' work. I have seen leadership skills in this group that I would never have recognized in the course of our math class. Aside from these goals, this project gives the team, as well as those who visit the site, further instruction in meeting the following benchmarks:
Grade 5 Mathematics
