Shape activities are a big part of our early learning curriculum. And it’s just not recognizing basic shapes. More than ever before, students are required to manipulate shapes in various ways to create new creations. They can make huge gains in the classroom by doing hands-on activities when rotation and manipulation are involved. And using the correct vocabulary in your lessons will help in those gains as well.
Shape activities are probably not a favorite for my students. They learned shapes at an early age so, obviously, the new has worn off. However, the standards have to be covered. So, how do we take something that is already learned and bring the excitement back?
Shape Shifters
Have you seen this fun book?! I knew I had to find a way to tie it into a shape lesson the minute I saw it. And the best part? You can use it in small group or whole group instruction! I even placed it in a math center as a review weeks later and my students still loved it!
The whole concept of the book is for students to not only identify basic shapes, but to take those shapes and pair them with one or more shapes to create new forms. Pretty cool, huh?!
A Great Math Center
My favorite way to use this book is to place it in a math center for a fun, hands-on activity. And what I like most about this book is the unexpected forms students have to make. Yes, students can take a triangle and square to create a house. That’s easy. However, the forms that are created with this book are very different and unique!
First, I start off reading the book as a whole group. We discuss basic shapes, but then I take it a little further. I use vocabulary words like rotation, slide, and flip. As a class, we use those words while taking basic shapes and creating a new form.
Next, I place it in a math center as a review. What I like about this center is that lends itself to creativity. I encourage my learners to not only use the book, but to create their own form!
Here are some of the unique forms you will find in this fun book!
Lastly, if time allowed or I needed to make the activity more challenging, I had students create as many of their own forms as they could. The competitiveness sure came out at that point!
Grab these FREE shapes that tie in with this book using the link below!
In need of some other fun math activities? Try these!!!
