Sort the Shapes: Teacher Notes

Saskatchewan Math Curriculum Strand and Objective Numbers:

Communication — Students have to organize shapes in an appropriate manner to communicate a relationship.
Critical and Creative Thinking — Students have to develop a criteria for the solutions they give when they sort the shapes.

Students will begin to recognize properties of shapes.
Students will design classifications and sort two dimensional shapes according to the various classifications which they will be able to explain.

Procedure:
Student's Role:

Students will choose 10 shapes from a container of pattern blocks. Each student also gets a "Sorting" worksheet. They will examine all the shapes and decide on a way that they can be grouped together, either by color, points, sides, whether they role, slide, etc. They have to draw or trace the shapes on the paper in the groups that they sorted them into and then tell me why they sorted the shapes that way. When the sheets are done they will be added to student’s portfolio to be marked for completeness and understanding. Students will then write an "I learned…" statement in their math journals.

Teacher's Role:

The teacher circulates and guides students through activity. Teacher asks questions to see if students know why they are sorting the shapes in a certain way or if there is any other way the shapes could be sorted.
Adaptation(s)/Extension(s):

Students could use solids to create the shapes, start to see that solids are made of shapes.
Students could do more than one sheet showing different methods of sorting objects.
Students could sort fewer shapes at one time.

Resources:

Saskatchewan Education. (1992). Mathematics: A curriculum for the elementary level. Regina, SK: Author.
Assessment/Evaluation:

Students write an "I learned …" statement in their math journals after the activity.
Portfolio — Mark sheet to see if it is completed and objective was accomplished.

Reflection:

I conducted this activity in my pre-internship class when I was teaching my geometry unit. I had set up the activity and did an example with the students on the overhead of how I would sort my shapes. I then asked a student to sort the same shapes in a different way. I had them pair off and move into working on the activity by themselves.

I observed students sorting the objects in many ways. When I asked them why they were sorting the objects in a certain way they told me they were sorting them by the number of points, the number of edges, the actual size of the shapes, and the basic shapes of the shapes. They had all come up with the basic ideas of how to classify the shapes. Even students that usually have a tougher time in math were able to sort the objects and verbally tell me how they did.

I also heard the students say it was fun to work with the pattern blocks, I do not think they have had much time to work with them yet.

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