Lesson 7

Put Together Flat Shapes

Warm-up: Notice and Wonder: Dogs (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is to elicit student knowledge about composing and decomposing composite shapes, which will be useful when students build their own composite shapes later in this lesson. While students may notice and wonder many things about this image, the idea that shapes, such as hexagons, can be composed and decomposed into other shapessuch as multiple triangles, rhombuses, trapezoids, or a combination of triangles, rhombuses, or trapezoidsis the important discussion point. Students may refer to the pattern blocks by their colors when describing them or sharing different combinations that may form the same shape. Use this as an opportunity to ask the students if they know the names of the shapes and review shape vocabulary.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.

Student Facing

What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

Pattern block design, dog. Yellow, 3. Red, 2. Blue, 3. Orange, 2.

Pattern block design, dog. Yellow, 1. Red, 2. Blue, 6. Orange, 2. Green, 6.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “Some of you noticed that the image at the bottom looks like the one at the top, but they used different shapes to make up the hexagons.”
  • “What other ways could you make a hexagon with the pattern blocks?” (2 trapezoids, 1 trapezoid and 3 triangles, 2 rhombuses and 2 triangles)
  • "What other ways could you make a rhombus? a trapezoid?”

Activity 1: Build with Pattern Blocks (15 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to compose two-dimensional shapes into larger shapes in different ways. As students work, consider asking them to identify the shapes they are using and their attributes. During this activity, the teacher may consider taking photos of the way students composed the large triangle (third problem) and the large rectangle (fourth problem) to share during the synthesis so that students do not need to move their pattern blocks to share with the class.

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Synthesis: When asking questions, invite students to take turns sharing their responses. Ask students to restate what they heard using precise mathematical language and their own words. Display the sentence frame: “I heard you say . . .” Original speakers can agree or clarify for their partner.
Advances: Listening, Speaking

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Flat Shapes Puzzles

Required Preparation

  • Consider making the Flat Shapes Puzzles blackline master into a packet for each student. 

Launch

  • Give students pattern blocks and the flat shape puzzles.

Activity

  • “Use the pattern blocks to fill the outline in different ways. Each time, record how you filled in the shape with pictures, numbers, or words.”
  • 8 minutes: independent work time
  • Monitor for different ways that students filled in the large triangle and large rectangle puzzles.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Display work from two students for the large triangle.
  • “How was the triangle created differently? Why do both ways work?” (One way used all triangles, the other used some triangles and a trapezoid. They both work because a trapezoid is the same shape as three triangles put together.)
  • Display student work for the large rectangle.
  • “Did anyone find a different way to build this shape? Why didn’t we find any other ways?” (The rectangle has square corners and the square is the only pattern block that also has square corners.)

Activity 2: Shape Pictures (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to compose two-dimensional shapes into composite shapes and find other smaller shapes that can make the same composite shape. Students use pattern blocks to compose a new shape, then recreate the new shape using smaller shapes. 

Action and Expression: Internalize Executive Functions. Check for understanding by inviting students to rephrase directions in their own words.
Supports accessibility for: Memory, Organization

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Launch

  • Give students pattern blocks.
  • “What kinds of shapes can you make from pattern blocks?” (triangles, rectangles, flowers)
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • Share responses.

Activity

  • “Use the pattern blocks to build something new. You can build whatever you want. After you build your new object, trace it and count the number of pattern blocks you used. Then build the same object using different pattern blocks, and record how many blocks you used.”
  • 6 minutes: independent work time
  • Monitor for 2–3 students to share their two shapes.

Student Facing

  1. Build something using the pattern blocks.

    Trace what you made and record how many pattern blocks you used.

    Pattern blocks.
  2. Make the same object you just made, using different pattern blocks.

    Record how many pattern blocks you used.

If you have time: Build the same object again, using the most pattern blocks you can.
Record how many pattern blocks you used.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite previously identified students to share.
  • “What do you notice about the shapes they built?” (They made a rocket. They used six triangles to make a hexagon in their first shape but used hexagons in the second shape.)
  • Repeat as time allows.

Activity 3: Introduce Picture Books, Find Shapes (15 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn stage 3 of the Picture Books center introduced in kindergarten. Students look through picture books and notice and describe shapes they see in the pictures. Students record the shapes they see with drawings or words.

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Picture Books Stage 3 Recording Sheet

Required Preparation

  • Each group of 2 needs at least one picture book that shows a variety of shapes throughout the book.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each group two recording sheets and access to picture books. 
  • “We are going to look for shapes in picture books. Talk to your partner about the shapes you see. Describe the shapes and name them if you can. Then record the shapes you see with a drawing or words.”

Activity

  • 10 minutes: partner work time

Activity Synthesis

  • Display a page from a picture book with lots of recognizable shapes. 
  • “What shapes do you see on this page?” (The sun looks like a circle. The blanket is a rectangle. The ball is a sphere.)

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

Display a chart titled “What We've Learned About Shapes.”

“Let’s reflect on the work we did in this section with shapes. First you will think on your own. Then you will share your ideas with a partner.”

Share and record responses. 

Cool-down: Unit 7, Section A Checkpoint (0 minutes)

Cool-Down

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Student Section Summary

Student Facing

We learned about solid shapes.

Geoblock. Cone.

Solid shape. cube.

We learned about flat shapes.

shape

Closed shape. 4 straight sides, different lengths. 4 points.

We described and named shapes.

This shape is a triangle because it has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.

Closed shape. 3 straight sides. 3 corners, pointy.

These shapes are all rectangles because they have 4 straight sides and 4 square corners.

A collection of rectangles.

We built larger shapes from smaller shapes.

A bridge made of geoblocks.
Pattern block design, dog. Yellow, 1. Red, 2. Blue, 6. Orange, 2. Green, 6.