This program looks interesting. http://www.dynamicgeometry.com/

Has anyone used it?

Feel free to add any other geometry resources you've used or heard about in this thread!

Dazey

Zome tools are a really fun way to work on geometry skills. It gets the kids thinking about planes, symmetry, angles, etc.

I"ve looked at Zome several times and could never decide what to get. What do you recommend starting with?

We have the Advanced Math set. I wanted that one so we could build all the Platonic solids. It's great! The kids are really creative with it

DS builds hypercubes and geometric patterns, DD builds skyscrapers for her toy critters.

Together, we built a dome large enough for a child to crouch under. I like playing with it, too.

I saw a video using 3D shapes to make 2D shadow-shapes. Is that part of a specific kit w/ instructions or do you just do it on your own?

Zome is a bit addictive.... LOL I think we've got the Advanced Math set (or something near it -- I pieced it together over time), and the Zome Geometry book. We've not set out to do a solid course with it yet, but we're going to have Friday Zome days next year with three other kids... probably getting through about half the book.

Yes, we have the Zome Geometry book. It is really a college level text but accessible on many levels. I have used it to create math lab activities for third graders in a heterogeneous class.

Yeah -- The group is four "really really smart", extremely math-oriented internally motivated high-achievers. It should be a wild ride... LOL

YES!

Oh you know what else is good? Euclid! The original guy I mean! We've only dabbled with it, but it's actually a fairly accessible text for messing around with things and doing compass-and-straightedge constructions. I have a companion book by Benno Artmann that makes it even more straightforward (and mentions a lot of what has been done since the ancient Greeks... LOL). That one is called Euclid: The Creation of Mathematics.

KAR1200 - I ordered Artmann's book from the library. You guys are going to make me spend money on Zome aren't you? I'm such a sucker..... Ha Ha Ha

Hehehe... Resistance is futile....

I completely agree

OH NO I'm a total trekkie! You guys made my day!

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

I don't know if I'm ready to splurge for the Adv Math kit just yet. What's a good intro kit? The bubble kit looks cool and kids always love bubbles. There is the Bubble Adventure Kit and the Bubble-ology Kit .. what's the difference?

ANd what about Zome challenge cards?

Ooo! Challenge cards sound interesting! I haven't tried the bubbles but a DVD came with the Zome kit that showed how to make the bubbles.

AARRRGHHH it was perfectly sunny when I lit the grill. THe hamburgers are on the grill and I find myself in the middle of a thunder/lightening storm and it's pouring raining. WEll, I guess I better prepare to get wet and/or electrocuted. AAARRGHHHHH

It's a little early for burgers over here. Still sunny

HHmm so it looks like either the Explorer Kit for $80 or Adventurer Kit for $40 or the Bubble-Ology bundle for $50 which consists of the Adventurer Kit and the Bubble-Ology book.

Any thoughts?

Well, I'd probably go for the larger kit because you can build more stuff. But the Bubble-Ology bundle sounds fun!

The Bubble-ology book would add another $13.50 to the Explorer kit. That might be my package for now!

If you just want to dip your toe into Zome, I recommend ordering the Crazy Bubbles Kit ($14.95). If you want to dive in, I recommend the Naked (without a case)Creator Kit ($99.90). Of course, there are several options in between.

Also, you can download lesson plans from their site or you can order them and they will send you a hardcopy.

http://www.zometool.com/edu-teaching-lessonplans.html

Summer

Don't forget, the "naked" kits (without the case) are significantly cheaper! I always do that, and then sort them into three shoeboxes (by size, not color -- it's easy to pull out the right color, but not so easy to fish out a tiny little one in a pile of different sizes)

So you could get Explorer for $46.50 and spend all the rest on cool books

I wondered about the naked kits ... if I could develop an easy system of storing them. I'm an orderly person and like everything in it's place lol so I'm drawn to the case. But WOW that's a significant savings.

I use a little plastic tub and keep all the pieces grouped in their original plastic bags. This system has held up through the regular use of our Zome by over 40 different kids between my dd's school and our PG co-op.

TexasSummer - that's GREAT to hear! I'll buy the naked kit!

Here's a resource that's free and open source:
GeoGebra
http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

There is a wiki where users connect: http://www.geogebra.org/en/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Lots of free standing demonstrations like those at Henrico County Schools: http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/math/GeoGebra_Site/index.html

Best of all teachers and students can download the program and tinker with their own explorations.

I also have some geometry math links on my wiki at: http://cesa5mathscience.wikispaces.com/2008

We're holding a geometry week this summer as part of a math science partnership grant.

RE: Zome storage- We have plastic cases that are made for small hardware items. The individual compartments can be configured in different ways with removable plastic walls. I also recommend buying naked Zome and the bargain bundles.

Thanks Lorel. We use those plastic cases for sorting our LEGO MINDSTORM NXT pieces and they work great.

OK you all have convinced me lol to buy.

Ok unless someone talks me out of it, I have the Naked Explorer kit and Bubbleology book in my shopping cart. I was going to get the Lesson Plans book but it looks like it is available in it's entirety online so I'll save that $20 for something else.

phoooeey, finally placed my order and due to high demand, it will be weeks before it ships. We only have 8 weeks of summer so I hope it ships soon.

Hope it comes quicker than you expect! I hate waiting for things to ship (not enough to pay extra for express delivery or anything, just enough to carp about it... LOL) I'm about to hit submit on my Amazon shopping cart to get the Lego Mindstorms NXT I've been wanting for a year... and I know as soon as I click that button I'll be listening for the UPS truck.

OH Kar1200 - I'm SOOOO excited for you!!!! We have two LEGO Mindstorms kit. As a matter of fact, we're doing Jim Kelly's Mars BAse command Mission challenge and the mat for it is being printed as I type this at Staples. I think LEGO Mindstorms is the coolest toy ever!

The next purchase you'll probably want to make is the Education Resource kit from LEGO Education. It's a great supplement to the Mindstorms kit unless you already have tons of technic pieces at home. You get some really cool bicycle-like tires in the Ed. Resource set.

I was just looking at that.... If only Amazon had it with free shipping! LOL On the other hand we've got bins and bins of Legos here already... I might be able to put together 90% of the Education Resource Kit from parts on hand and then just buy the spare bits... hmmmm....