Grade 6C Sure Measures Up!

Today we reviewed how to measure angles of 180 degrees and less with a protractor.  The most confusing part that seems to stump some students is knowing which numbers to read:  the outer set or the inner set.  I have given them a couple of hints.  First, anticipate the type of angle before you begin.  If you know that the angle is acute, for example, then your measurement must be less than 90 degrees.  Second, when the protractor is aligned properly, with the vertex of the angle at the origin of the protractor, and one arm of the angle on the baseline, that arm will point to one of the zeros on the protractor.  Since we always begin measuring from zero, select the set of numbers that the zero belongs to (either the inner set or the outer set) and go from there. It is imperative that the students are proficient at this skill, as we will move into constructing angles next, then eventually constructing figures.