Lesson 1
Build Shapes
Lesson Purpose
The purpose of this lesson is for students to reinforce counting concepts as they build with and consider the attributes of pattern blocks.
Lesson Narrative
In previous units, students put together pattern blocks to form larger shapes and filled in puzzles. They counted groups of up to 20 objects and images and wrote numbers to record their count. Students use only 1 kind of pattern block to fill in puzzles and eventually create given shapes without outlines provided, which requires students to think informally about the attributes of shapes. Students need to change the orientation of the pattern blocks and align the sides of the pattern blocks. Students may be able to visualize how to turn or flip the shape to fill a particular space or may need to use trial and error. In both activities, students count and write a number to record how many pattern blocks they used.
- Action and Expression
- MLR8
Learning Goals
Teacher Facing
- Count to answer “how many” questions about groups of up to 20 shapes and represent the quantity with a number.
Student Facing
- Let’s use one kind of pattern block to make shapes.
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Materials to Copy
- Squares Squares Squares
- Shape Puzzle
Required Preparation
Activity 1:
- Each student needs at least 10 square pattern blocks.
Activity 2:
- Each group of 2 needs at least 16 triangle pattern blocks and 8 rhombus pattern blocks.
Activity 3:
- Gather materials from:
- Geoblocks, Stages 1 and 2
- Grab and Count, Stage 1
- Find the Pair, Stages 1 and 2
Lesson Timeline
| Warm-up | 10 min |
| Activity 1 | 10 min |
| Activity 2 | 10 min |
| Activity 3 | 20 min |
| Lesson Synthesis | 10 min |
| Cool-down | 0 min |
Teacher Reflection Questions
What was the best question that you asked students today? Why would you consider it the best one based on what students said or did?