Cluster 1: Reason with shapes and their attributes. (Supporting Cluster)Archived

In this game, learners use clues to identify mystery shapes. Use everyday objects (like from the pantry) as the shapes. It is important for learners to be able to describe a shape with correct math vocabulary and to be able to visualize a shape in their head.

Type: Educational Game

Students divide a hexagon into two, three, and six equal parts and write the unit fraction representing each part.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students divide figures into two parts, each having the same area, and write the unit fraction representing each part.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students partition an irregular hexagon into two equal parts and describe each part using a unit fraction.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students partition a rectangle into four equal parts and describe each part using a fraction.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to describe attributes shared by three shapes and to identify a larger category into which these shapes can be placed.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to draw a shape with four sides that is not a rhombus, rectangle, or square.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to describe attributes shared by three shapes and to identify a larger category into which these shapes can be placed.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to describe attributes shared by three shapes and to identify a larger category into which these shapes can be placed.

Type: Formative Assessment

In this lesson, you will find clip art and various illustrations of polygons, circles, ellipses, star polygons, and inscribed shapes.

Type: Image/Photograph

Students will be able to listen and cooperate with one another in replicating geometric designs without seeing them and relate this to how citizens demonstrate civility and cooperation to accomplish a common goal.

Type: Lesson Plan

This set of geometry challenges focuses on creating a variety of polygons as students problem solve and think as they learn to code using block coding software.  Student will need to use their knowledge of the attributes of polygons and mathematical principals of geometry to accomplish the given challenges. The challenges start out fairly simple and move to more complex situations in which students can explore at their own pace or work as a team. Computer Science standards are seamlessly intertwined with the math standards while providing “Step it up!” and “Jump it up!” opportunities to increase rigor.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use their knowledge of how to identify quadrilaterals and how to analyze data to determine a ranking for the best paver designs for a driveway. In this MEA, students will deepen their understanding of the attributes of parallelograms, rectangles, squares, trapezoids and quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these categories.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is an interactive lesson that allows students to inquire, learn, and successfully categorize various quadrilaterals. They will love the challenge and have fun working collaboratively in the classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

The students will plan a vegetable garden, deciding which kinds of vegetables to plant, how many plants of each kind will fit, and where each plant will be planted in a fixed-area garden design. Then they will revise their design based on new garden dimensions and additional plant options.  Students will explore the concept of area to plan their garden and they will practice solving 1 and 2-step real-world problems using the four operations to develop their ideas.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This problem-solving lesson has students working together in groups to discover that fractions are made up of equal parts of one-whole. In this lesson, students are exposed to equivalent fractions as well as challenged to work beyond unit fractions to discover the fractional part of one-whole that the "mystery strips" represent. This highly engaging lesson takes into account all levels of learners and will challenge even your most advanced students.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students categorize shapes identifying the attributes of quadrilaterals. 

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson helps students to realize that quadrilaterals have identifying attributes that define them. Students should also discover that a quadrilateral can have multiple names based on the attributes of a category.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will make initial discoveries about fractions. Students will work together to explain and record the discoveries they make while using manipulatives to explore fractions.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will identify the fractional parts of a whole using pattern blocks. There is a focus on unit fractions.

Type: Lesson Plan

The teacher reads The Greedy Triangle to the class to explore attributes of figures. As the teacher reads, the students create the shapes in the book using geoboards.  Students follow up their exploration with a card sort. The students create Frayer Models in their journals using information they discovered during the lesson.  

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will make a book of fractions by counting by a specified denominator. They will represent the fractions as pictures, in number form, word form, and on a number line.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use foldables to create and name fractions. Students will sing a song to learn the terms numerator and denominator. Students will identify how many unit fractions compose a fraction.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will build the understanding of unit fractions. They will differentiate examples and non-examples of fractional parts of squares. They will label unit fractions and describe unit fractions as those that “build” other fractions.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn about the defining attributes of a rectangle to identify and create rectangles as we visit various national parks in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Help pack for a square picnic while learning about the defining attributes of a square in comparison to rectangles in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the defining attributes of a square and what makes a square different from a rhombus in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learning about the attributes of a rhombus and how to create a rhombus using its attributes in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is an accessible, easy-to-read book introducing fractions. It can be downloaded in PowerPoint, Impress, and Flash formats. For struggling or non-readers the book can be read aloud in a variety of voices. All of the books on the Tar Heel Reader site can be used with the Intellikeys keyboard with a custom overlay, a touch screen, and/or 1-3 switches. The text and background colors can be modified for students with visual impairments.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

This task continues "Which pictures represent half of a circle?" moving into more complex shapes where geometric arguments about cutting or work using simple equivalences of fractions is required to analyze the picture. In order for students to be successful with this task, they need to understand that area is additive.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task presents students with some creative geometric ways to represent the fraction one half. The goal is both to appeal to students' visual intuition while also providing a hands on activity to decide whether or not two areas are equal. In order for students to be successful with this task, they need to understand that area is additive.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This interactive Java applet allows users to manipulate a square rectangle into various quadrilaterals. There are four tabs on the site including Learner, Activity, Help, and Instructor tabs. On the Activity tab, users can create various quadrilaterals. An information window provides data about the shape created including side lengths and angles. The Learner and Help tabs provide information about the activity. The Instructor tab has a worksheet on quadrilaterals that contains exploration questions which instructors can use as guiding questions to lead students in comparing/contrasting the similarities and differences between various quadrilaterals. (Users can also explore tessellations made from quadrilaterals on this site. Please note: this is not part of third grade standards.)

Type: Teaching Idea

This lesson is designed to introduce students to quadrilaterals and the terms and properties associated with quadrilaterals. This lesson provides links to discussions and activities related to quadrilaterals as well as suggested ways to integrate them into the lesson. Finally, the lesson provides links to follow-up lessons designed for use in succession with the current one.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this tutorial video from Khan Academy, discover attributes and features of four-sided shapes, including parallelograms, rhombuses, rectangles, and squares.

Type: Tutorial

This combination of illustrations and narration defines convex as well as concave polygons and describes the features of various polygons. Examples of polygons shown include triangles and quadrilaterals of various types, including some that are convex and some that are concave, and even one that has a hole in it. Narration or read-along text describes the shapes for the user. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse

Type: Tutorial

Match shapes and numbers to earn stars in this fractions game.

• Match fractions using numbers and pictures
• make the same fractions using different numbers
• Match fractions in different picture patterns
• Compare fractions using numbers and patterns

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This interactive Flash activity asks the user to sort shapes into a 2 by 2 chart, known as a Carroll Diagram, based on their properties. Properties used to sort include "quadrilateral" or "not quadrilateral" and "regular polygon" or "not regular polygon."

Type: Virtual Manipulative

An interactive tool to represent a fraction circle, rectangle, or set model with numerators and denominators ranging from 1 to 100. The decimal and percent equivalents of the created fraction are also displayed.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This virtual manipulative allows you to create, color, enlarge, shrink, rotate, reflect, slice, and glue geometric shapes, such as: squares, triangles, rhombi, trapezoids and hexagons.

Type: Virtual Manipulative