QUADRILATERALS

An Online Treasure Hunt

for Third Year High School (Mathematics)

Introduction

Forms of all shapes and sizes abound in our environment. Quadrilaterials are one such set of forms. The term quadrilaterals should not be new to you. You were introduced to quadrilaterals in your elementary grades. In this activity, you will review what you’ve learned and learn new things about quadrilaterals.

The “rules” of the activity are simple: Working in groups of three, answer the questions below by reading the online resources listed. To access an online resource, simply click on its URL or address. After answering all questions, answer the Big Question.

Questions

1. What is a quadrilateral? Give a NON-example of a quadrilateral (a shape that is not a quadrilateral).

2. Enumerate the five common types of quadrilateral.

3. When can you say that a trapezoid is isosceles?

4. Describe a parallelogram.

5. How does a square differ from a rhombus?

6. Describe the diagonals of a square.

7. Identify the parallelogram with diagonals that are congruent but not perpendicular.

8. Which of the quadrilaterals have two pairs of congruent opposite angles?

Resources

Quadrilaterals: Definition of A Quadrilateral, Parallelograms

http://www.math.psu.edu/geom/koltsova/section10.html

Quadrilaterals

http://www.math.com/school/subject3/lessons/S3U2L3GL.html

Parallelogram and trapezoid

http://www.bymath.com/studyguide/geo/geo8.htm

Shapes: Quadrilaterals

http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/sats/quadrilaterals.htm

Quadrilateral Family Tree

http://www.monroemontessori.com/Staff-info/quadrilateral_family_tree.htm

Diagonals in Quadrilaterals

http://www.intermath-uga.gatech.edu/tweb/CPTM1/dhabeeb/diagonalsinaquad/diagonalsinaquad.htm

Trapezoid Conjecture

http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~dwiggins/conj19.html

Quadrilaterals in Geometry

http://www.mste.uiuc.edu/m2t2/geometry/quadrilaterals/default.html

Rectangle

http://www.e-zgeometry.com/class/class6/6.3.4/6.3.4.htm

The Big Question

A. Make a concept map showing how the different quadrilaterals and their properties are related to each other.

B. In the table below, check the characteristics that are applicable to the given quadrilaterals.

Characteristics	Parallelogram	Rectangle	Rhombus	Square	Trapezoid	Trapezium
1. All sides are congruent
2. Two pairs of opposite sides are congruent
3. Two pairs of opposite sides are parallel
4. All angles are right angles
5. Two pairs of opposite angles are equal
6. Diagonals are equal
7. Pair of sides is parallel
8. No sides are parallel

---

Authored by M. Soco