Hamster Champs

The car drives away and suddenly it’s just Hector the cat and three clever hamsters: Pipsqueak, Chuckles and Moe. The hamster champs offer to show Hector their new stunt, which requires they leave the safety of their cage, but only if Hector promises not to chase them. “All right,” he says, “But if I get bored…watch out!” Using a protractor to measure a 30-degree angle, the hamsters set up a ramp made out of a board supported by blocks. Then they get in a toy car, parked on the couch, and race down another ramp—this one made of pillows—which gives them enough speed to climb up the board and briefly fly in the air. Wheee! Hector’s not impressed. So they try again with a 45-degree angle. Then a 60-degree angle, but it's too steep. Hector’s getting bored! He wants a larger angle. Guess what happens when the champs try a 180-degree angle? 

Learning about angles helps children identify and describe different geometric shapes. 

Activities!

• Read the story with the child (or students) and point out how to read the angles on the protractor as the hamsters make the ramp steeper. Explain that angles are measured in degrees, and that a right angle is 90-degrees, while a straight line is 180-degrees.
• Have three kids use a piece of string 6 feet long to make angles together. Have one child hold one end, the second child the other end and the third child hold the string in the middle. Have them make 45-degree, 90-degree, and 180-degree angles.
• Help your child (or students) fold a sheet of paper into an airplane or any origami shape. After each fold, point out the angle or angles that were formed. Estimate and then measure the angles