Grandfather Tang Task

Summary

Students will create a shape or animal using tangrams and then describe it using appropriate attributes

Materials

• Grandfather Tang book
• tangram shapes
• paper and pencils
• anchor chart of shape attributes (optional)

Background for Teachers

• understand the attributes of shapes
• identify and describe two-dimensional shapes
• familiar with using manipulatives and have management strategies in place

Student Prior Knowledge

• understanding of attributes of shapes, what an angle and face is
• understand what two-dimensional shapes are
• recognize the attributes of different shapes
• describe shapes by attributes
• use and manage manipulatives properly

Intended Learning Outcomes

• recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes
• identify triangles and quadrilaterals
• use descriptive vocabulary

Instructional Procedures

Students will create and animal or other shape using tangrams. They will then describe their shape using the attributes of each shape.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

• provide animal diagram templates
• provide shape names for students to use when describing

Extensions

• complete a second animal
• compare your ideas with another group
• what if you had more shapes