Shape Puzzles

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Just like pieces in a puzzle fit together to make one picture, shapes can fit together to make bigger shapes!

Before you learn how shapes can fit together, you must know a few new shapes.

The first new shape has a fancy name: a rhombus. It’s the same as a diamond, but it is called a rhombus in math.

This is a rhombus!

The second shape is called a trapezoid. It’s like a rectangle, but the top side is shorter, so the sides angle in.

This is a trapezoid!

The last shape is called a hexagon. It has six sides and six corners.

This is a hexagon!

Great job learning these new shapes!

They will help you in the next part of the lesson, where you will use small shapes to make new, bigger shapes!

• How do you use smaller shapes to make bigger shapes like the ones you just learned?

Look closely at what happens when the shapes are moved, turned, and flipped!

Start with two triangles that are the same size.

You can slide the triangles together so their sides touch.

When two triangles join together, they can make a rhombus!

Count the triangles.

One, two!

It takes two triangles to make this rhombus.

Now, try three triangles.

If you turn the triangles and match their sides, they can make a trapezoid.

Count the triangles.

One, two, three!

It takes three triangles to make this trapezoid.

• What can you make with even more triangles?

Try six triangles.

When six triangles fit together, they make a hexagon!

Count the sides around the outside of the hexagon.

One, two, three, four, five, six!

The small triangles joined together to make one bigger shape.

Shapes can join in different ways, too.

Look at these squares.

If you put two squares together side by side, they make a rectangle.

Now, look at four squares.

If you put four squares together in two rows, they make a bigger square.

You can also use six squares to make a longer rectangle.

Wow! The same small shape can make different bigger shapes.

Sometimes, you need to slide, turn, or flip a shape to make it fit.

Look at these two triangles.

Right now, they do not make a bigger triangle.

But if you flip one triangle, the sides can match.

Now the two smaller triangles make one bigger triangle!

That is how shape puzzles work.

You move the pieces around until the sides fit together.

Small shapes can make rhombuses, trapezoids, hexagons, rectangles, squares, and even bigger triangles!

Keep your eyes open for sides and corners that match.

When shapes fit together, they can become something new!

Now, move to the Got It? section to practice making new shapes from the shapes you know!