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5 WAYS TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF ANGLES IN MATHEMATICS

 

For some teachers, the concept of angles can be very difficult to impart especially at the elementary level. There is a difficulty in relating angular values and concrete objects. For instance while it is not difficult to represent 90 degrees using concrete objects, it could be very daunting doing same for 135 degrees or 207 degrees.The topic ‘Angles’ in mathematics is just an aspect of plane geometry and in this article we’ll talk about 5 ways teachers can help students understand the concept of angles.

 

USE VISUAL AIDS AND CONCRETE OBJECTS

In lesson delivery, it is very important to introduce visual representations such as charts and diagrams very early to assist students to visualize angles and their properties. This can enhance their understanding and make the concept more tangible.

Provide concrete objects like cut-out shapes, straws or straight edges to form different shapes and angles. Students can be given the opportunity to manipulate these concrete objects to form angles on their own.

In doing so teachers must remember learners are very different individually. While some learners may take some time to understand the concept others may be very quick in understanding.

 LET STUDENTS MEASURE ANGLES

Provide opportunities for more practice. Leaners should be given the opportunity to practice the act of measuring angles with their protractors. They could start with measuring simple and common angles to more intricate ones. This could be achieved by giving learners more homework and teachers must ensure learners get the assistance they need.

 ENCOURAGE PEER TUTORING

The teacher must encourage collaborative learning. This can be done through group work or peer tutoring to provide a deeper understanding of angles. This way students can teach each other and compare their work. Learners may feel more comfortable learning from their friends than the teacher in some cases.

ALLOW STUDENTS TO CONSTRUCT ANGLES

Teach and assist students to construct angles using their compasses. Allowing students to construct angles gives them the opportunity to identify the properties of angles. The construction processes can be broken down into simple steps with varying levels of complexity. This gives students the confidence to progress to one step after completing another.

 ASSIGN TASKS

Assign tasks to students. This would give the teacher the needed feedback to identify where students lack understanding. The teacher can ask learners to measure or construct an angle. The outcome of that assignment would give the teacher the needed feedback to adjust or adopt another technique.

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