"Spring Circle Tree!" A Geometry Bulletin Board Idea

Photo Source: Lessons with Laughter

We love when learning and creativity come together to make an eye catching display/bulletin board! Case in point - this cute spring circle tree put together by Molly, fourth grade teacher and creator of Lessons with Laughter, and her students! During their geometry unit, she decided to put her kiddos learning to good use and had each of them create circle 'leaves' for the tree.

Circle 'Leaves'

Photo Source: Lessons with Laughter

Students first used a compass to draw and cut a circle shape from green construction paper. Next, to demonstrate their learning, students;

  • drew and labeled the center, a diameter, a radius, and a chord
  • explored how they could calculate the diameter of a circle if they only had the value of the radius

To add a bit of visual interest and get their projects ready for the tree, Molly had her students back their circles with lime green paper.

Spring Circle Tree

  • Background: Light blue bulletin board paper.
  • Title: None needed.
  • Border: Complimentary solid color/patterned trimmer.
  • Decoration: 1)The Tree. Cut a piece of brown bulletin board paper into several 12" to 16" sections. Lightly crumble the sections to create a texture look then attach them to the board, one of top of the other, to create the trunk of the tree. [NOTE: For a more three-dimensional look, add pieces of scrunched tissue paper behind the paper to make the trunk pop out from the board.] Cut smaller sections of the brown paper, crumbling and twisting them to create 'branches', and attach them to the trunk. Finally, finish off the tree by adding tissue paper 'blooms' and your students' circle 'leaves'! 2) The Birdhouse. Use construction paper to fashion a birdhouse. If you want a more detailed element, you might consider looking through some clip art for ideas/templates. However, Molly's simple shape birdhouse (basically a square, triangle, and heart) does the trick and it would be super easy to make! 3) The Extras. Scraps of white bulletin board paper or construction paper can be fashioned into a picket fence and green paper can be used to create a strip of grass along the bottom!
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