Grades 5-9
22 explorations – 88 pages

A paper white circle becomes the star attraction as students manipulate its shape and analyze the results in the 22 sequential explorations found in The Amazing Circle. This hands-on physical approach of studying geometric concepts will provide students with enhanced understanding and knowledge retention.

Students discover that a plain circular sheet of paper contains a secret lode of rich geometric concepts and problem-solving opportunities few have explored. As student use their amazing circles to fold, crease, unfold, observe, compare, identify, and analyze, connections among geometric concepts are found in abundance. The secrets that lie hidden in this unassuming piece of paper yield to careful manipulation, observation, analysis, and calculation.

For example, in the first exploration, students will fold their circle in half to discover the crease illustrates the diameter and that it is the longest straight line segment with endpoints on the circle. They will understand that this line segment must cross the center of the circle in order to be the longest. In the next exploration, they will unfold the circle and then fold a new semi-circle in order to create a second diameter. They will observe the sectors and arcs created by this fold, and their knowledge will continue to build.

Students feel successful as they keep coming back to work they have done and repeating it as they move forward to add a new step. Teachers will like that while the explorations include repetition, the activities are interesting and students are enthused to perform them.

The developing association between abstract concepts and the students’ physical models enriches the entire learning experience.