Mathematical Emphasis
Investigation 1—2-D Shapes Around Us

• Recognizing shapes in the environment
• Observing and describing two-dimensional shapes
• Developing vocabulary to describe 2-D shapes
• Becoming familiar with the names of 2-D shapes
• Relating 2-D shapes to real-world objects

Investigation 2—Exploring Shapes with the Computer

• Exploring Shapes software
• Visualizing how to move a shape so that it is oriented correctly to fit into a design
• Finding a combination of shapes that fill an area
• Building knowledge about the relationships among pattern block shapes

Investigation 4—Making Shapes and Building Blocks

• Describing and becoming familiar with the attributes of 2-D shapes
• Constructing 2-D shapes
• Finding combinations of shapes that fill an area
• Combining smaller 3-D shapes to make a larger 3-D shape
• Analyzing visual images
• Describing position of and spatial relationships among objects

Investigation 5—2-D Faces on 3-D Blocks

• Observing and describing attributes of 3-D shapes
• Looking at 3-D objects as wholes and as having parts
• Observing similarities and differences between the faces of different 3-D shapes

Tips For Helping At Home

• Look for different shapes in the environment, at home or while you are out. You can look for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Encourage your child to look closely and describe what each shape looks like.
• Making shapes is a good way to learn about them. At home, your child might use clay or playdough, building blocks, drinking straws, or a loop of yarn or string to make different shapes. Drawing shapes is also fun. Your child might like to design pictures using shapes, as children will be doing in class.
• You and your child might visit the children’s section of the library and find books about shapes to read together.

Vocabulary Terms

Face

The flat side of a three-dimensional shape

Geo-blocks

Three-dimensional wooden blocks (cube, cylinder, sphere, triangular prism, cone, pyramid)

Manipulatives

Objects that can be used to help solve problems

Pattern Blocks

Plastic colored shapes including triangles (green), squares (orange), hexagons (yellow), diamonds or rhombus (blue and tan), and trapezoids (red)

Shapes

Students will be using the terms: square, rectangle, triangle, circle, oval, and rhombus (diamond)

Mathematics Vocabulary Web site

Mathematics Strategy—How Young Children Learn about Shapes

Geometry in the younger elementary grades is a lot more than learning to say the names of shapes. Building meaning for words like square, rectangle, cone, and sphere, involves much more than seeing a few examples and memorizing the names for those shapes.

Kindergarteners must figure out what characteristics make a difference in the classification system we use. For example, size and color don’t matter when we classify a shape as a circle or rectangle. Students seem to understand this quite early however, they may think that orientation does matter. Some think a tilted square is no longer a square—now it’s a diamond. Some may also think that a shape with some characteristics of a circle is a circle even though it is actually an oval.

Children of this age need two things: (1) a rich base of experience on which to base the development of meaning for mathematical language, and (2) interaction with adults that will help them sift through their experiences and organize them in a way that makes sense. As you talk with your children, help them develop their language and experiences by asking questions or making comments that challenge them to be clear and precise when talking about shapes.

Source: Investigations in Number, Data, and Space: Making Shapes and Building Blocks. Dale Seymour, 1998. (Pages 22 and 23)

Mathematics Activity—Making Shapes

Materials

Shape Patterns

Drawing Materials

Activity

1. Cut out shapes patterns or use pattern blocks for tracing.



2. Put shapes together into a larger shape and trace the outline on a piece of paper.



3. Remove the smaller pieces.



4. Give your child the outline of the shape and see if they can fill in the outline with the pattern shapes or blocks.



5. Start with simple shapes that use a small number of pieces. Extend to larger shapes and more pieces with children find smaller patterns easy.

Get to Shape Patterns (for printing)