Build a Polygon

Geometry has never been so engaging! In this activity, players will practice drawing shapes, measuring, and finding perimeter. The goal is to create as many polygons as possible, and it's trickier than it sounds! You will use a deck of cards to determine the length of the lines you will draw. Hope for the best, because your lines will need to connect almost perfectly in order for you to close off your polygon. If you don't get the number you want, don't worry! Draw your line in a different direction and wait for your next turn.

Terms to Know:

polygon: a closed plane figure bound by straight sides

perimeter: the distance around a two-dimensional shape

What You Need:

• One deck of playing cards (Print a deck.)
• Metric rulers (scaled in centimeters)
• Pencils
• Paper

What You Do:

1. Shuffle the deck and place it in the center of the table. Give each player a pencil, a ruler, and a sheet of paper.
2. Players take turns drawing a card. They take the value on their card (aces = 1, all face cards = 10) and use it to draw a line equal to that many centimeters. They should label this line with its measurement.
3. In the second round, players will draw a new card, then draw another line stemming from either end of their previous line.
4. The goal is for a player to make a polygon by closing their figure with a final line on their third or subsequent turn.
5. When a player creates a polygon, they must also state its perimeter. If correct, they earn 1 point. On their next turn, they may begin drawing a new polygon.
6. The first player to earn 3 points wins.