Begin your lesson on quadrangles by finding a way to engage your students in the topic. Before telling your students what defines a quadrangle, ask them to guess what they think one might be based on the first part of the word quadrangle. After your students have made their guesses, explain to them that a quadrangle is any shape that has four sides and four corners. Keep the introductory definition simple to avoid overwhelming your students with information.
Give your students a visual representation of quadrangles. Draw a few different quadrangles on the chalkboard to illustrate the various quadrangles that exist, such as squares and rectangles. Point out the factors that define each shape as a quadrangle to help your students see the similarities between the shapes. Pointing out that each shape has four sides and four angles, or corners, will allow your students to better comprehend that many different shapes can be classified as quadrangles.
Interact with your students during your lesson to keep their attention and reinforce the information. Assign different shapes, both quadrangles and non-quadrangles, to different students and have them draw the shape that they have been delegated on the chalkboard. Ask the students to tell you and the class whether or not the shape is a quadrangle and have them explain why or why not. Have the students’ classmates help them if they have trouble classifying the shape. This activity will help your students better understand quadrangles and refresh their memories regarding some of the less common shapes, such as rhombuses and trapezoids.
Determine whether each student understands your lesson by assigning a worksheet for everyone to work on independently. Include problems on the worksheet that address identification and drawing of quadrangles. Add slightly more complex quadrangles, such as concave triangles, to the worksheet to ensure that each student has a solid grasp on the definition of a quadrangle. Evaluate each worksheet to find out which students might need extra help.