This study was an investigation of the use of manipulative materials in the mathematics classroom. The researcher guided students to create paper triangles, which were then used as a manipulative to calculate the sum of the interior angles of a triangle. On pre- and post-measures of quantitative data, although the data indicated a positive correlation on attitudes toward math, there was no statistical difference on an 11-item assessment composed of public-released questions taken from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam. Mixed methods data collection and analysis found that students enjoyed the lesson and wanted more opportunities to engage with manipulative materials. Implications include the need for mathematics teachers to deploy novel approaches as instructional strategies.