Lesson 1

Build Shapes

Warm-up: How Many Do You See: Triangles (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this How Many Do You See is for students to subitize or use grouping strategies to describe the images they see. When students use the structure of 5- and 10-frames to count, they look for and make use of structure (MP7).

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • “How many do you see? How do you see them?”
  • Flash image.
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time

Activity

  • Display image.
  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Record responses.
  • Repeat for each image.

Student Facing

How many do you see?
How do you see them?

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “Did anyone see the triangles the same way but would explain it differently?”

Activity 1: Squares, Squares, Squares (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to put together pattern blocks strategically to make a specific shape. Students use square pattern blocks to fill in 2 squares. Then students work together to create another square and a shape that is not a square, without outlines provided. Students informally compare the shapes that they have created in the activity synthesis. Students count and write numbers to show how many pattern blocks they used.

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Squares Squares Squares

Required Preparation

  • Each student needs at least 10 square pattern blocks.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each student a copy of the blackline master and access to pattern blocks, including at least 10 orange square pattern blocks.
  • Display the blackline master.
  • “What do you notice?” (The shapes are both squares. One is bigger and one is smaller.)
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • Share responses.

Activity

  • “Fill in both shapes using only orange square pattern blocks. Then write a number to show how many squares you used to fill in each shape.”
  • 3 minutes: independent work time
  • “Work with your partner to make another shape that is a square. You can use any kind of pattern blocks. Then write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used.”
  • 2 minutes: partner work time
  • “Work with your partner to make a shape that is not a square. Use the orange square pattern blocks.”
  • 2 minutes: partner work time
  • “Trace or draw the shape that you made that is not a square. Then write a number to show how many orange square pattern blocks you used.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Display one student-created square and a shape made out of pattern blocks that is not a square.
  • “What is the same about the shapes? What is different about them?” (The square has sides that are the same length. The other shape is short and thin.)
  • “How many pattern blocks did it take to make each shape?”

Activity 2: Shape Puzzle (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is to solve a puzzle using only one pattern block shape. Students need to change the orientation of the pattern blocks and align the sides of the pattern blocks carefully to fill in the puzzle (MP6). Although the task asks students to use only one kind of pattern block in the second problem, students may choose to fill it with different kinds of pattern blocks. If they do, they should still write a number to represent how many pattern blocks they used.

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Point to each shape and invite students to chorally repeat the name in unison 1-2 times: Triangle and rhombus.
Advances: Speaking, Representing
Action and Expression: Develop Expression and Communication. Give students access to 10-frames to help them count the number rhombus pattern blocks they used.
Supports accessibility for: Organization, Conceptual Processing

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Shape Puzzle

Required Preparation

  • Each group of 2 needs at least 16 triangle pattern blocks and 8 rhombus pattern blocks.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each group of students a copy of the blackline master and at least 16 triangle pattern blocks and 8 rhombus pattern blocks.
  • “In the last activity, we used square pattern blocks to make squares. Work with your partner to fill in this puzzle, using only the blue rhombus pattern blocks.”
  • 3 minutes: partner work time

Activity

  • “This sentence says 'I used ___ pattern blocks.' Write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used.”
  • 1 minute: independent work time
  • Share responses.
  • “Can you use another kind of pattern block to fill in the puzzle?”
  • 1 minute: independent work time
  • 2 minutes: partner work time
  • Monitor for students who use all triangle pattern blocks to fill in the puzzle.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • If a student used all triangle pattern blocks to fill in the puzzle, invite the student to share.
  • If no student used all triangle pattern blocks to fill in the puzzle, ask “Use only triangles to fill in the puzzle. How many triangles did you use?”

Activity 3: Centers: Choice Time (20 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

  • Geoblocks
  • Grab and Count
  • Find the Pair

Students will choose from these centers throughout the section. Keep materials from these centers organized to use each day. 
 

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

  • Gather materials from: 
    • Geoblocks, Stages 1 and 2
    • Grab and Count, Stage 1
    • Find the Pair, Stages 1 and 2

Launch

  • “Today we are going to choose from centers we have already learned.”
  • Display the center choices in the student book.
  • “Think about what you would like to do first.”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time

Activity

  • Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
  • 8 minutes: center work time
  • “Choose what you would like to do next.”
  • 8 minutes: center work time

Student Facing

Choose a center.

Geoblocks

Grab and Count

Center. Grab and Count.

Find the Pair

Center. Find the pair.

Activity Synthesis

  • “Tell your partner about something that you built during centers today.”

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we used all of the same kind of pattern blocks to make shapes and fill in puzzles. Can you use the triangle pattern blocks to make a bigger triangle?”

“How many pattern blocks did you use?”

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

Cool-Down

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