Fostering Algebraic Thinking in Five Minutes a Day!

1. Investigating Area by
Folding Paper
Day 1
5-Minutes
From Mark Driscoll's Fostering Geometric Thinking

2. Investigating Area
• For each problem, start with a square sheet of
paper and make folds in the sheet of paper to
construct a new shape, then explain how you
know the shape you constructed has the
specified area.
• Construct a square with exactly 1/4 the area
of the original square. Explain how you know it
has 1/4 the area.

3. Investigating Area by
Folding Paper
Day 2
5-Minutes
From Mark Driscoll's Fostering Geometric Thinking

4. Investigating Area
• For each problem, start with a square sheet of
paper and make folds in the sheet of paper to
construct a new shape, then explain how you
know the shape you constructed has the
specified area.
• Construct a triangle with exactly 1/4 the area
of the original square. Explain how you know it
has 1/4 the area.

5. Investigating Area by
Folding Paper
Day 3
5-Minutes
From Mark Driscoll's Fostering Geometric Thinking

6. Investigating Area
• For each problem, start with a square sheet of
paper and make folds in the sheet of paper to
construct a new shape, then explain how you
know the shape you constructed has the
specified area.
• Construct another triangle with exactly 1/4
the area of the original square that is not
congruent to the previous triangle you
constructed. Explain how you know it has 1/4
the area.

7. Investigating Area by
Folding Paper
Day 4
5-Minutes
From Mark Driscoll's Fostering Geometric Thinking

8. Investigating Area
• For each problem, start with a square sheet of
paper and make folds in the sheet of paper to
construct a new shape, then explain how you
know the shape you constructed has the
specified area.
• Construct a square with exactly 1/2 the area
of the original square. Explain how you know it
has 1/2 the area.

9. Investigating Area by
Folding Paper
Day 5
5-Minutes
From Mark Driscoll's Fostering Geometric Thinking

10. Investigating Area
• For each problem, start with a square sheet of
paper and make folds in the sheet of paper to
construct a new shape, then explain how you
know the shape you constructed has the
specified area.
• Construct another square with exactly 1/2 the
area of the original square that is located in
one of the four corners of the original square.
Explain how you know it has 1/2 the area.