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Angry Bird Angles

Jun 10, 2011 | 23 comments

Last week, we spent a lot of time talking about angles. We began by reviewing acute, right, and obtuse angles. We remembered that a right angle is 90° and that you can make a square inside of it. We discussed that an acute angle is just a cute little angle. It’s less than 90°. An obtuse angle is larger and is more than 90°.

After we reviewed different types of angles, students were introduced to a protractor. A protractor is used to help us measure and draw angles.

When looking at a protractor, you will notice that a straight line goes through 0°. This is called the zero plane. We always put the center of that zero plane on the vertex, the point where the two lines meet. We then look up at the second line to see what numbers it intersects. You will notice two different numbers. In order to figure out which numbers to use, you need to know whether it is an acute angle or an obtuse angle. If it is an acute angle, you will use the smaller numbers (less than 90°). If it is an obtuse angle, you will use the larger numbers (greater than 90°). To practice using a protractor, try heading over to the site Math is Fun. It has a great tool that will allow you to measure different angles!

In order to practice measuring angles, we designed our own Angry Bird levels. Angry Birds is a popular game where you have to use a slingshot to shoot birds through the air to destroy green pigs. Students had to design their background, figure out the placement of their pigs, decide what type of birds they would use and then figure out the path each bird would have to travel in order to defeat the level. After this was completed, we then found our zero plane (a line even with our slingshot). Students then had to measure the angles that each bird would have to be shot at for the best results. They then marked these angles on their poster. Take a look through the pictures below to see our final results!

Did using Angry Birds help you to understand measuring angles?

When else might you need to know how to measure angles?