South Carolina ETV
South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545
Shape Up (Grades 6-8)
Master Teacher
Erin E. Greiner
Time Allotment
Three class periods
Subject Matter
Polygons: Triangles and Quadrilaterals
Overview
The students will differentiate and create between different types of triangles and quadrilaterals. The students will create a tangram and use it to form different shapes.
Learning Objectives
The students will be able to:
- identify lines (parallel, perpendicular, and skew), quadrilaterals (parallelograms, squares, rectangles, trapezoids and rhombi), triangles (obtuse, acute, right, scalene, isosceles, equilateral)
- classify lines, quadrilaterals, and triangles
- create the different shapes using a geo-board
- construct a tangram
- make the tangram into a square
South Carolina Standards
Visit the South Carolina Department of Education for the South Carolina Mathematics Standards.
Mathematics—Grade 7
IV. A. Model, identify, describe, and compare two-and three-dimensional geometric figures.
2. The student will compare and contrast the following quadrilaterals: parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, and trapezoid. Deductive reasoning and inference will be used to classify quadrilaterals.
Media Components
Web Sites
Eye-opening Art. This German site features pictures by Wassily Kandinski. This address takes you to an Index page where you click 1-frameset.html. Next click Kandinski, which takes you to Eye-opening Art. This is where you will find the artwork you are asked to display to the class under Step 1 of the Introductory Activities.
Pick's Theorem. Scroll down to the first paragraph on this page and click on the hotlink to geo-boards.
Enchanted
Mind: Tangrams. This site tells the history of
tangrams and has tangrams to be solved.
Materials
Per student:
- pencil
- paper
- two 5-inch paper squares
- scissors
- Activity Sheet 1
Per group:
- geo-board
- computer with Internet access
Prep for Teachers
- Bookmark sites needed.
- Copy tangram directions (Activity Sheet 1) for each student.
- Cut out paper squares.
- Cue videotape.
- Cue Power Point Presentation. View PowerPoint
Introductory Activities: Setting the Stage
Step 1
Locate Shapes. Ask students to name a shape. Create a long list of shapes (lines, polygons, quadrilaterals, etc.)
Step 2
Focus for Media Interaction: Ask students to find different shapes within each picture. Display art from Eye-opening Art in a slide show manner.
Discuss the different shapes found. Ask if some form other shapes? How is this done?
Learning Activities (Day 1)
Step 1
List Lines and Angles. Use Power Point Presentation Slides 1 and 2. View PowerPoint
Define Lines and Angles. Compare and discuss parallel lines to railroad tracks and perpendicular lines to a cross or a T-shape. Have each student list five objects in the room that create parallel lines and five objects that create perpendicular lines.
Discuss four different angles, including acute, obtuse, right, and straight. Have each student find three objects that make an acute angle, three objects that create an obtuse angle, three objects that create a right angle, and three objects that create a straight angle.
Ask if any of these shapes were in the Web pictures. If so, name them.
Learning Activities (Day 2)
Step 1
Classify Triangles and Quadrilaterals. Continue the Power Point presentation and discuss what triangles and quadrilaterals are.
Step 2
Review Slides 1 and 2: Classify Triangles by Their Sides (scalene, isosceles, and equilateral). Define and create, explaining hash marks to show congruence.
Step 3
Slide 3: Classify Triangles by Their Angles (right, acute and obtuse). Define and create, explaining arcs to show congruence.
Step 4
Slides 4-9: Classify Quadrilaterals (parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, trapezoid). Define and point out the hash marks and right angles.
Culminating Activity (Day 2)
Step 1
Focus for Media Interaction: Use Web-based geo-boards found at Pick's Theorem or real geo-boards to create shapes including: specific triangles and quadrilaterals. Assign each each group/individual (depending on availability of computers) to create each triangle and each quadrilateral.
Step 2
Focus for Media Interaction: Go to the Web site Enchanted Mind: Tangrams. Have students create a square with the shapes. On their own, have students try the different shapes using the 7 tans.
Culminating Activity (Day 3)
Step 1
Quickly have students name each triangle and quadrilateral. Then ask students to recall the tangram. Ask what shapes were in the "puzzle." How many? Check if anyone accurately remembers.
Step 2
Hand out directions for creating a tangram. (See Activity Sheet 1.) Let students try on their own to create the seven tans. Discuss what shapes they come up with. (It is difficult, but you want them to try alone first.)
Step 3
Go through the process to create the seven tans step-by-step with the students. You should have two large triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, one parallelogram, and one square.
Have each student create the original square once all seven pieces are created.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Art: Discuss Cubism, Impressionism, etc.
History: Research the history of Kandinski's artworks and the Chinese history of tangrams.
Assessment
Did the student:
- Identify lines (parallel, perpendicular, and skew), quadrilaterals (parallelograms, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, and rhombi), triangles (obtuse, acute, right, scalene, isosceles, equilateral).
- Classify lines, quadrilaterals, and triangles.
- Create the different shapes using a Web-based geo-board.
- Construct a tangram
- Make the tangram into a square.
Community Connections
Invite an engineer or architect to speak to the class about how shapes are used to create buildings or how they are used in other construction projects.
Students could ask the guest speaker a question like: Why are the measurements of the angles and sides so important? Then have them record their findings in a journal/paper/report about the importance of geometric knowledge of triangles and quadrilaterals.
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