Shape Shifter

Early Years/Primary (Age 3 – 9)

Curriculum Goal

Kindergarten: Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviour

Describe, sort, classify, build, and compare two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, and describe the location and movement of objects through investigation.

Primary: Geometry and Spatial Sense

Describe the relative positions of several objects and the movements needed to get from one object to another.

Context

Students can work individually.
Two to four students work together in person or in an online space.

Materials

In-person version

Grid (App endix A)
Seven pegs (Appendix B)
Eight coloured shapes (Appendix B)

Online version

Jamboard

Part of our spatial toolkit...

Lesson

The goal is to place every shape on the board around the pegs.
Each student can place the pegs wherever they would like on the board.
Students can place as many pegs on the board as they like. They do not need to place all seven.
Students then take turns flipping, translating and rotating the shapes as many times as they would like to fit them on the board, in spots where they don’t overlap with any other peg or shape.
Once the students feel like they have been successful in filling their board, they can remove the pegs and shapes and try again.

Look Fors

What strategies and mathematical reasoning do students use when placing their shapes?
Are students rotating, translating and flipping the shapes so that they can fit them all on the board?

Extension

Have students verbally explain to their partner where and in what position to place a specific shape.
Give students a set number of times they are allowed to move their shapes.
Get one student to fill their board and then use directional language to direct their classmate to fill their board the same way. Students cannot look at each other’s board until they both agree they are finished.

Related Lessons

Prior to Shape Shifter: Students focus on spatial thinking skills, such as mental rotation and spatial visualization.

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