Physical activities and geometry
Hello everyone!
Based on what we talked in the previous post, I realized that another excellent way of working on geometry would be through physical activities.
Typically, all the activities and lessons proposed in geometry teachings are based in the classroom, where students must be fitted without moving off their sits. However, as more studies are done about it, conclusions are being made about the real efficacy of this in relation to learning, and the results are showing the importance of movement for children to really learn. Their young age is clearly of great significance for this, because they are in the age of discovering their surroundings and their capacities without being able to stay lots of time paying attention to the same thing. Therefore, using physical movement in class, in this case in geometry classes, is a espectacular way of gaining knowledge at the same time that good attitudes about learning are being promoted, students are motivated and skills such as motor skills or coordinations are being worked on.
The possibilities for combining movement and geometry are infinity, as most times mere adjustments are needed to achieve that objective. One of the most simple examples could be drawing polygonal shapes in the ground, so that by depending of what they are told they can only jump on certain figures. Like that, they only move if they are able to relate the figures that are drawn and their knowledge about them: their names, their characteristics...Also, their quick mathematical thinking and reasoning would be put into practice, as it being a group thing they are motivated to do well in the shortest time possible.
Many other activities can be put into practice. It can be mentioned a relay race, in which each participant of each time contributes to something, for example categorize a group of different polygons that can be found at the opposite extreme of where they start. It is a great example of learning geometry not only by movement, but by through collaboration and team work too, and the consequent learning of these for a student.
Lastly, I want to mention the possibility of working geometry using the body itself, too. Students can use their bodies as a group to form polygonal figures on the floor, being an easy but funny way to think and realize the characteristics each one counts with. Also, talking about using their bodies we cannot forget acrosport, that consists in the creation of forms using the combination of postures of several people's bodies. That way, we can ask students to represent geometrical elements, different from merely watching them on a piece of paper or asking them to draw them.
References:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327402870_Geometria_en_el_Gimnasio_una_experiencia_en_los_primeros_cursos_de_Educacion_Primaria
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