MotherGoose Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi I've started BA 3A with my 8 yo. We are on one of the first lessons, about isosoles, (spelling) equilateral, and scalene triangles. We were marking off the lengths on a popsicle stick to tell the length of the line segments because neither of us could eyeball it. It was ridiculous. Then I remembered the compass, which I used in maybe 9th grade geometry?? So we used it to measure the line segments and it's working great. I understand why you couldn't give compasses to a classroom of 3rd graders, but it's fine for her. What do other people do about those lessons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hmm, I don't remember needing to measure distances for those lessons. I guess we just did it by sight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi I've started BA 3A with my 8 yo. We are on one of the first lessons, about isosoles, (spelling) equilateral, and scalene triangles. We were marking off the lengths on a popsicle stick to tell the length of the line segments because neither of us could eyeball it. It was ridiculous. Then I remembered the compass, which I used in maybe 9th grade geometry?? So we used it to measure the line segments and it's working great. I understand why you couldn't give compasses to a classroom of 3rd graders, but it's fine for her. What do other people do about those lessons? Why couldn't one give compasses to a classroom of 3rd graders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Why couldn't one give compasses to a classroom of 3rd graders? I just imagine a bunch of little boys poking each other with the points. :) I don't know, maybe I did get one in 3rd grade, don't remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I just imagine a bunch of little boys poking each other with the points. :) I don't know, maybe I did get one in 3rd grade, don't remember. They make ones with very dull points. I've got really nice ones with points and some that are duller than a pencil. I actually don't recall ever using a compass in school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Why couldn't one give compasses to a classroom of 3rd graders?3rd graders still get meltdowns and my older stab the cardboard of his notebook with the compass. Even the scissors in the PS classrooms are kept away when not in use. ETA: I had the Oxford compass set in elementary school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 3rd graders still get meltdowns and my older stab the cardboard of his notebook with the compass. Even the scissors in the PS classrooms are kept away when not in use. The younger kid compass I have isn't sharp enough to stab anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I seem to recall we pulled out C-rods and made our own triangles from the sides for that lesson, but I can't remember exactly what the point was... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I must have skipped that part because I don't even remember it. LOL Maybe we used skewers. Or toothpicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I seem to recall we pulled out C-rods and made our own triangles from the sides for that lesson, but I can't remember exactly what the point was... We too used Cuisenaire rods to make the different kinds of triangles. And we broke some wooden chopsticks to different lengths to try to make triangles as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 The compasses we have are left over from when dh and I were in school and they have very sharp points :) I remember we were instructed to put an eraser on the ends to keep them safe. We did make triangles with toothpicks, but there are several pages of problems where you must tell the what sort of triangles they are and must tell the differences in lengths of sides. I loved geometry, maybe that's why I remember it so well. I keep telling dd that that's a 90 degree angle and must correct myself. But again I know I wasn't doing this in 3rd grade... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 DH distinctly remembers poking girls with the sharp end of the compass up into high school. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 They make ones with very dull points. I've got really nice ones with points and some that are duller than a pencil. I actually don't recall ever using a compass in school. We had them from about standard 4 (about 5th grade). Yes the boys did use them as spears occasionally. We also used to play a game where you threw the compass beside someones foot into the wood floor and they had to move there foot out to there - it ended when someone couldn't stretch tgeir legs any further apart or got their foot hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 We just did these sections with my 7yo. We had no issue figuring lengths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 We did these sections in November and we had no problems. We used the toothpicks like it suggests for the one section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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