Applied Science - Science and Math (KA)
Lab 

   
OBJECTIVES:
  • Describing different shapes.
  • Discovering shapes around the room.
VOCABULARY:
  • circle
  • rectangle
  • square
  • triangle
MATERIALS:
  • pattern blocks
  • tangrams
  • geometric wooden or plastic shapes
  • worksheet

Students describe different shapes.

BACKGROUND:

Basic shapes like circles, diamonds, squares, and triangles can make interesting and complex shapes.  Learning how to make a pattern from these basic shapes helps a child develop skills in logic, color, shape perception, size and quantity relationships, laws of prediction, and manual dexterity.

PROCEDURE:

  1. Students should cut out the  pattern on the worksheet along the black lines(or have them precut).   Ask students to create different patterns with the pieces.  Show them the different animals that they can create below including a swan, bird, bear, fish, rabbit, and an eagle. 
      
  2. You can purchase other tangram sets.   These puzzles challenge the child to experiment or logically determining what shapes are required to create new patterns using two dimensional blocks.  
      
  3. Next show students three-dimensional blocks.  A cube is a three dimensional square.  A column or pillar is a three-dimensional rectangle.  A pyramid is a three-dimensional triangle.  A sphere is a three-dimensional circle.  If you have other shapes,  discuss them with students.  
      
  4. After your students have learned the different shapes,  explain that these shapes are mathematical representations of the real world.  Go around the room and see if students can identify different shapes.  The important lesson is to recognize that shapes in real life are not as perfect as shapes that are made or drawn.

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