EdPlace's Lower Key Stage 2 home learning maths lesson: Angles
Looking for short lessons to keep your child engaged and learning? Our experienced team of teachers have created English, maths and science lessons for the home, so your child can learn no matter where they are. And, as all activities are self-marked, you really can encourage your child to be an independent learner.
Get them started on the lesson below and then jump into our teacher-created activities to practice what they've learnt. We've recommended five to ensure they feel secure in their knowledge - 5-a-day helps keeps the learning loss at bay (or so we think!).
Are they keen to start practising straight away? Head to the bottom of the page to find the activities.
Now...onto the lesson!
What's It All About?
Angles are all around us and being able to name and describe them is an essential skill for year 3 and 4!
In this activity, you will use your maths skills to investigate and explore angles in the real world in while enjoying your summer break.
Can you recognise acute, obtuse and right angles?
Can you name their properties and features?
Can you think why certain angles are seen in buildings and structures? Why are they chosen? What is the thinking
This set of activities will help your child work towards the following National Curriculum objectives:
Year 3 Maths:
– Recognise angles as a property of shape or a description of a turn.
– Identify right angles.
– Identify whether angles are greater than or less than a right angle.
Year 4 Maths:
– Identify acute and obtuse angles.
– Compare and order angles up to right angles by size.
Activity:
Why not keep a photographic record of angles in shapes, buildings and structures you see on your summer adventures this year? You could make the results into a slide show or create a quiz for your family using the pictures of angles you collect.
Remember:
1. Right angles are 90°. They look like the corner of a square.
2. Acute angles and small and cute! They are smaller than 90°.
3. Obtuse angles are larger than 90°.
Teachers Tips:
Teacher Tip 1:
Angle hunting – While out over the summer, take time to look around you at manmade and naturally occurring angles. Look carefully at buildings, vehicles and pavements. Do you spot more right angles, acute or obtuse ones? Why do so many manmade structures use right angles? Can you spot examples of right angles in nature or in food for example?
Keep a photographic or video record of the angles you spot on your summer outings. Can you explain why we don’t see many examples of straight lines and angles in nature? Can you use natural materials to make a range of angles? You could use sticks, leaves and other naturally occurring materials to make a collage or picture of angles you have spotted.
Teacher Tip 2:
Shadow angles – For this activity, all you need is a sunny day and some chalk! Find a sunny spot to stand in in the morning and draw around your feet (this is so you can make sure you stand in the same place and face the same way later). Ask a friend or family member to use the chalk to draw a line to show where your shadow is on the ground – try to keep your chalk line as straight as possible. You can label this line with the time of day (it is best to start in the morning).
Return to your feet outlines every hour or so over the period of the day, marking your shadow each time and labelling the time.
What time was it when your shadows made an acute angle? How late was it when you could see an obtuse angle. Did you ever get an exact right angle?
Teacher Tip 3:
Action angles – Next time you are at the park, look out for angles! A lot of pay equipment is constructed using straight lines and manmade materials so your local playground can be a fantastic place to spot angles of all types. What angle do your arms make when you climb the monkey bars? Can you make a right angle when you clamber up the steps to the slide? Make quarter, half and three quarter turns on the roundabout by turning a right angle at a time. You could play ‘I spy’ at the park too … “I spy with my little eye, an acute angle high in the air!”.
Conclusion and Supporting EdPlace Activities
Once you’ve practised using your maths skills to go angle hunting over the summer, try these EdPlace activities which all contain questions and challenges involving identifying, comparing and classifying angles to help you revise your year 3 skills or get a head start on year 4!
Activity 1 - Know Your Angles: Smaller or Larger Than a Right Angle?
This activity is fantastic for comparing angles and consolidating knowledge on right angles. From the Year 3 selection of worksheets, it will help those just starting out with learning about angles.
Activity 2 - Know Your Angles: Smallest or Largest?
In this worksheet, students identify the largest and smallest angles from a choice of three. This is another Year 3 worksheet, but a little more challenging that EdPlace Activity 1. Perfect for those wanting to perfect their angle ordering skills.
Activity 3 - Geometry: How Many Right Angles?
In this worksheet, students state which of the quadrilaterals and triangles shown have right angles (angles of 90 degrees). This Year 4 activity is excellent revision and a step on from EdPlace Activity 1 for those feeling more confident or wanting a challenge.
Activity 4 - Sort the Angles: Acute or Obtuse
In this worksheet, students sort angles into acute or obtuse. From the Year 4 collection, this is perfect for those wanting to refine their use of the mathematical vocabulary they have been practising while out angle hunting over the summer.
Keep going! Looking for more activities, different subjects or year groups?
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