NCTM Standards

When students arrive at middle school prepared to build on their informal knowledge of geometric figures, they can profit from the rich contexts provided by triangles for the development of visualization, practical measurement, and mathematical reasoning.

The NCTM Geometry Standard for grades 6-8 states that "middle grades students should explore a variety of geometric shapes and examine their characteristics" (NCTM, 2000, p. 233). As envisioned by the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, students at this level would gain experience in working with concepts of congruence and similarity. In these investigations, students would connect mathematics to the world they live in as they study the geometry embedded in nature, the sciences, measurement, and even art.

Students would also apply geometry in problem solving, sharpening fundamental skills through "visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems" (p. 237). They would explore flips, turns, and slides and their effects on geometric objects, because experiences with these transformations "should help students develop a strong understanding of line and rotational symmetry, scaling, and properties of polygons" (p. 235).

If you would like to see the goals of the Geometry Standard set out in detail, go to http://standards.nctm.org/document/appendix/geom.htm.

Reference

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Author.

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Copyright January 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.