Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8): Game Show Geometry - Geometry Jeopardy

Grade Levels: 6–8

Subject Area: Geometry & Mathematical Practices

Estimated Time: 90–100 minutes (can split into two class periods)

Introduction

Invite your students into the bright lights of a classroom game show with Geometry Jeopardy. In this lesson, each small team of three or four becomes both the question‐writers and contestants, creating and competing on their own Jeopardy boards. Over five sessions, learners will design five questions in one of five key geometry topics—rigid transformations, composite‐figure area, similarity, angle relationships, and coordinate‐plane problems—each worth 100–500 points. They’ll host rounds, solve peer‐created challenges under timed pressure, and record which problem types prove most difficult.

This playful approach reinforces core concepts like translations, reflections, rotations, area calculations, proportional reasoning, and precise mathematical communication. By alternating between hosting and playing, students gain ownership of both question creation and problem solving. At the end, data on “question difficulty” sparks a class reflection, pinpointing concepts that may need reteaching. Geometry Jeopardy builds procedural fluency, critical thinking, and collaboration—all wrapped in a highly engaging review.

Learning Targets

By the end of this activity, every student will be able to:

• Perform Rigid Transformations
  • Accurately translate, rotate, and reflect shapes on the coordinate plane, demonstrating that congruent figures result from those movements.
• Calculate Composite-Figure Area
  • Break down complex shapes into rectangles, triangles, and other polygons; compute areas of parts; and combine them to find the total.
• Justify Similarity
  • Compare side‐length ratios and corresponding angles to determine when two figures are similar, and clearly articulate the reasoning in writing.
• Communicate Mathematically
  • Write concise, unambiguous geometry questions and fully worked solutions, using precise vocabulary, diagrams, and step‐by‐step explanations.
• Analyze Peer Data
  • Record the percentage of correct answers per question, interpret patterns in the results, and propose targeted follow-up practice.

Each team will demonstrate mastery by hosting at least five questions and by solving at least twenty peer-generated challenges across the sessions.

Standards Alignment

This lesson directly addresses the following Common Core and Mathematical Practice standards:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations—rigid motions that preserve distance and orientation.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.2 Understand that a two-dimensional figure is congruent to another if it can be mapped by a sequence of rigid motions.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.B.4 Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area of composite figures by decomposing into known shapes.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.4 Understand that a scale factor describes how much larger or smaller one object is than another; apply to similarity problems.
• MP.3 (Construct Viable Arguments & Critique Reasoning) Students will justify why their answer procedures work and provide clear arguments to critique peers’ reasoning.
• MP.4 (Model with Mathematics) By creating real Jeopardy boards and analyzing difficulty data, students will translate classroom review into meaningful mathematical models.
• MP.6 (Attend to Precision) Emphasis on accurate diagrams, precise language, and clear notation ensures students “attend to precision” in question writing and solution presentation.