• Teacher observations during workstations and class activities will aid in assessing students’ mastery.
• A paper/pencil formative assessment can be used to guide instruction to see if a student needs additional practice or has mastered the skills (M-K-4-1_Assessments 1 and 2 and KEY.doc).
• A checklist may be used to record student mastery of mathematics skills.
• additional black line masters (M-K-4-1_Pattern Block Shape Cards.doc and M-K-4-1_Shapes at Our School.doc) are available to determine level of student comprehension.

“Today we are going to be working with shapes. We will sort shapes into groups. Then we will be making animals with different shapes.”

Read the book Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert to your students as an introductory activity. If you do not have the suggested book, read a different book about shapes and colors.

“Before we begin our sorting activity, I would like to read a book to you. Let’s look at the cover. What do you think our book will be about?” Elicit student suggestions and predictions about the book. “The title of the book is Color Zoo. The author is Lois Ehlert. The animals are made out of shapes. Let’s see how many shapes we recognize while we read.”

Ask students questions about the book and the shapes in the book as you read. Sample questions could include:

• “How many squares are on this page?”
• “What color is the triangle?”
• “How many shapes can we find on this page?”
• “Let’s count all of the circles.”
• “Who can find a shape that has four sides?”
• “What shape is cut out of this page?”
• “How are the square and triangle similar?” (They both have sides and corners.)
• “How are the square and triangle different?” (One has 3 sides and corners, and the other has 4 sides and corners.)

“I have an envelope with shapes inside. Some of the shapes are the same and some of the shapes are different. The squares could be different sizes and colors but they are still squares.” Show an example or two from the bag.

“I will place you into pairs. Each pair must sort the shapes in some way. When I come around to your table, you will need to tell me how you and your partner sorted your shapes. What does it mean to sort shapes?” (When we sort our shapes, our piles have to be the same in some way.)

“What are some ways you could sort the shapes?”

Ask students to turn and talk with a classmate, then share their ideas with the class. (I like to sort by color; I think we could sort by shape.)

If students don’t mention sorting by size, hold up two squares that are different sizes. (We could sort our shapes by big or little.) “You are right. That’s sorting by size. I will now hand out the envelopes so you and your partner can begin sorting.”

As you walk around to check students’ work, listen to or watch how students sort their shapes. As you leave each pair’s workspace, encourage them to sort the shapes another way.

“How did this pair sort the shapes?” (We sorted by size. See, we have all the big shapes in this pile and all the little shapes in the other pile. It didn’t take us very long.)

Point to a few shapes and ask students to name them. Ask them how they know the shape is a square, circle, etc. While you visit each table you can ask questions to assess student understanding of shapes and colors.

• “What shape is this?”
• “Can you find a triangle and hold it up?”
• “What color is this circle?”
• “How many sides does a square have?”
• “Find a rectangle; how many sides does a rectangle have?”
• “How do you know this is a circle?”

“Your group sorted the shapes by size. Can you think of another way? I’ll come back in a little while to check your progress.”

After you have been to each workspace at least once, have students place the shapes back in the envelopes, and discuss the ways students sorted the shapes as a class.

“What are some ways you sorted your shapes?” List student responses on the board.

“Remember the book Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert that we read at the beginning of math class? We are going to make a class book similar to the one we read. Each of you will get to choose a zoo animal. Then you will need to make the zoo animal with the shapes I place on your table. If you need more shapes, raise your hand and I will refill your bowl. Let’s look again at some of the pictures from the book.”

Look at a few pages from the book Color Zoo to remind students how the animals were made from shapes. After you have taken another glance at the book with students, explain how each student will be making his/her own animal out of shapes.

“I’ve placed bowls with shapes and glue on your table. Everyone needs to decide which zoo animal they wish to make. To show you an example, I am going to make a lion.” Proceed to model making a lion out of shapes for the class. Ask questions similar to the following as you do so:

• “What shape do you think we could use for ears?”
• “What shape could we use for a tail? Are there any other shapes that would work?”
• “What shape could we use for the legs? Are there any other shapes that would work?”
• “What shape could we use for the body? Are there any other shapes that would work?”
• “What shape could we use for the eyes? Are there any other shapes that would work?”
• “How many triangles did we use to make the lion?”
• “How many squares, triangles, circles, etc. did we use?”

“Good job, now you are going to get a chance to make your own animal. Please come and get your paper. Walk back to your table and begin.” Continue asking students to choose their animals and to start working. Encourage students to choose different animals so there is a variety for the class book. Ask students to write the name of their animal at the bottom of their page.

As you check on student progress you can assess students by asking questions. Later you can use these same questions as you read the finished book to your class. Sample questions may include:

• “What shape is this?”
• “How many rectangles are on your animal?”
• “What color is this star?”
• “How many sides does a triangle have?”
• “Find a rectangle; how many sides does a rectangle have?”
• “How do you know this shape is a circle?”
• “How many different shapes make up this lion?”
• “How is the rectangle similar to/different from the square?”
• “How are the shapes on this picture similar to/different from the shapes on another picture?”

Once everyone has completed an animal, ask students to share their animals in small groups. Students will share the names of their animals and describe the shapes they used. After all students have the opportunity to talk about their shape animals, assemble the book. Read the book to students the following day and place it in your room library. If possible, laminate each page for durability, as this is a book students will read over and over during the year. As you read the book to students you can assess their understanding through questioning (see sample questions above).

You will have opportunities to assess students while they are working on their animal picture. Students may need to be pulled into small groups to further clarify student understanding or assess student learning at another time.

Extension:

The best way to tailor this type of lesson is with hands-on experiences at workstations and in small groups. Reviewing shapes and colors during the year through routines and mini-lessons can clarify concepts and review skills and vocabulary for the entire class.

You can form small groups based on observed student ability and formative assessments. Different small-group activities may be selected based on the specific needs of students.

Use the following activities in your classroom to meet the needs of your students throughout the year.

• Routine: Mystery Shapes: Place a set of pattern blocks so they are visible to all students. Review the names of each shape with students. Say the name of each pattern block and have students identify it from a pile of blocks on their desk.

Next, place a pattern block inside a nontransparent bag. Do not let students see the shape you placed in the bag. Have one or two students feel the shape. Have them describe to the other students what they feel.

• How many sides?
• Straight or curved?
• Large or small?
• Are the sides all the same size?

Once students are done describing what they feel, ask the rest of the students to share what shape they think is in the bag. Have students explain their thinking. Repeat several times during the year.

Mystery Shapes Variation: Each student should have one set of pattern blocks on his/her desk or a set of paper pattern blocks (M-K-4-1_Pattern Block Shape Cards.doc).

Do the above activity as recommended except for when it is time for students to tell you the shape they think is in the bag. Ask students to use the paper Pattern Block Cards to show you what they think. This allows you to see everyone’s responses at the same time.

“Okay, we heard Selma describe the shape in the bag. Now it is your turn to tell me what shape you think is in the bag. Look at the paper Pattern Block Cards at the top of your desk. On the count of three I want you to pick up the card you think represents the shape inside the bag. Ready? One, two, three…”

Keep a container of cut-out shapes accessible to students for them to create other animals if they finish their work early.

• Expansion: Read a book about two-dimensional shapes. Alphabet City by Stephen Johnson shows many common shapes found in our everyday world. After reading the book, students can look around the classroom and find other examples.

Ask students to create interesting characters and settings out of paper shapes. Then have them write a story about their creations.

• Small Group: Creating Designs Using Shapes: Show students a container with pattern blocks or have them use cut-out pattern block shapes (M-K-4-1_Pattern Block Cutouts.doc). Review the names and attributes of each shape. Tell students that we can make other shapes from the pattern blocks. Demonstrate to students how you can put the blocks together to make different shapes.

Have students use shapes to make something in their environment. Assess students by asking questions while they are doing this activity.

• Shape Booklet: If possible, give small groups of students a camera and let them take pictures around the school and playground, looking for geometric shapes. After you have each group’s pictures printed, let students make small shape books titled Shapes at Our School (M-K-4-1_Shapes at Our School.doc). Students can write or glue the names of the shapes on each page as well as the photographs.

If cameras are not available, students could make booklets by cutting pictures from magazines and/or drawing pictures.

(Option: If technology is available in the classroom have students work on tuxpaint (http://www.tuxpaint.org/) to manipulate shapes and use technology.)

• Workstation: Exploring Shapes: Place pattern blocks (M-K-4-1_Pattern Block Shape Cards.doc) or paper copies of pattern blocks inside a container and let students explore and build with them.
• Shape Pictures: Give students a picture from a commercial book like Patternables Activity Book by Learning Resources (www.learningresources.com) or create your own pictures and allow students to use pattern blocks to fill in the pictures.

Sample page from teacher resource book Patternables Activity Book: http://www.learningresources.com/text/pdf/0336book.pdf