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5 Geometry Projects for Middle and High School

geometry-project

Are you looking for fun middle school geometry projects or high school geometry projects that will allow your students to show their creativity while also assessing geometry standards? These 5 projects do just that!

Projects are a great assessment tool in the classroom. I used to be guilty of focusing on skills only (skill and drill worksheets). While I know the basic skills are important, I also think we should move beyond the worksheet into applying the math we teach.  Projects allow students to not only show their mastery of the foundational skills, but also how they apply that skill in the real world. 

When I started using projects as a form of summative assessment, I received great feedback from students. They were excited to have an assessment that wasn’t a unit test! Projects are great for those creative students who might not be the best test takers. These geometry projects can be found HERE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

 

1. ABC's of Geometry Project

geometry-terms-project

In this geometry project, students create a booklet that demonstrates their mastery of geometry vocabulary. Students find a geometry vocabulary word that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Then they write the definition and draw a picture representing that word. 

I give points for creativity. color, and neatness. Also, I make sure to tell students that the definition should be in their OWN WORDS, not copied from the internet! I also remind students that the words should only relate to geometry. For example, D is for Derivative would not work. 

Some useful websites for students to use are Math Words and Math Glossary. I usually supply paper, markers, and crayons for this project. If you don’t have these supplies, you could alway make this a digital project. Students could create a PowerPoint presentation instead of a booklet. I personally like the booklet better because I see more of the students’ creativity. 

2. Future Architect Project

geometry-project

Scale drawings and similar figures are a huge part of middle and high school geometry. In this project, students create blueprints for a house. They must include the scale and the square footage of the actual house. 

Some of the requirements for the blueprints include: 2-3 bedrooms, at least one bathroom, garage, kitchen, living room, and a special feature (like fireplace or walk-in closet). Students must also write a sales pitch for their house that includes the price. I tell them to research price per square foot in the local area to create a reasonable price. 

For this geometry project, I supply the graph paper. I’ve also let students use websites to create blueprints such as SmartDraw and Floor Planner. If students choose to use a website to create their blueprint, they still must print it and include other aspects such as a sales pitch and price. 

3. Art of Geometry Project

geometry-shapes-project

This project is perfect for those artistic students in your classroom. Students will create a 3-dimensional art sculpture using geometric shapes. They must use color, a variety of materials, and creativity.

I also assign a writing component to this project. Students must write 2 paragraphs about how they made their project and their inspiration for their project. This gives me an idea of the time and energy they spent on their sculpture. I love reading about their inspiration, too!

I do not supply any materials for this project. Some students use styrofoam, wood, metal, paper, paint, etc. The possibilities are endless. I tell students that they don’t necessarily have to buy the materials. They could use things around their house (with their parents’ permission). 

4. Geometry Careers Project

geometry-careers-project

How many times do your students ask you, “When will we ever use this in the real world?” This geometry project allows them to answer that question!

Students will find and research 5 careers that use geometry. They must find different characteristics about the career such as salary, schooling, and job description. They must also print or draw a picture of each career. I have my students put all of this information on a poster.  I do not supply the poster board.

You could also make this into a digital project. Students could make a PowerPoint covering the 5 geometry careers. I’ve done a digital version in the past, and I definitely like the poster better. Students seem to put more effort into it. 

Another thing to consider is citing sources. Students will copy straight from the internet if you don’t make them cite their sources. I make sure to emphasize that students put the information in their own words. 

5. Mandalas (Rotational Symmetry) Project

rotational-symmetry

Another great project for your artistic students! For this project, students will create a mandala using a compass and ruler. The mandala must have rotational symmetry. 

Students must tell me the order and degree of rotational symmetry. I also have them write about their inspiration for making the mandala.

I provide the paper, compasses, rulers, and markers/crayons for this project. Also, I allow students to watch YouTube videos about making mandalas. Even though I teach constructions using a compass, the mandala is much more complicated. Allowing my students to watch YouTube videos allows them to learn other techniques with a compass. 

I hope you liked these projects! You can find the complete projects including rubrics, teacher instructions, student directions, student samples and more in my Teachers Pay Teachers store

 

You can get a FREE sample of my complete geometry curriculum by clicking here!

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geometry-project

Lindsay

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