Tangram Lesson 2

Tangrams 2

Subject: Math
Level: 3rd Grade
Time: 45 minutes

Main Points

1. A tangram picture must use each tan. Each tan must be touching, but not overlapping each other.
2. Many shapes can be joined together to form different sizes and forms of shapes.
3. A practical use of tangrams is to use them to illustrate a story.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson the student should be able to:
1. Know what a tangram is.
2. Know what shapes a tangram has.
3. Understand how to make larger, or different, shapes using tangram pieces.
4. Construct animal tangram pictures.

Materials

Plastic tangram set
Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert
Student-made tangram
Magnet tangram set

Lesson Beginning

Review

Ask students to review to the class what we learned yesterday about tangrams.

Introductory focus

Tell students that today we will be making pictures out of tangrams.

Wholeness

Tangram pictures are made using every tan to create a beautiful whole picture. The SCI principle I will be using is: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts

Purpose

To have fun with shapes, and to discover how shapes fit together to make pictures.

Lesson Development

Procedures

1. I will read Grandfather Tang’s Story.
2. As we read along one child will model the tangram picture from the story with magnet tangrams.
3. While one student is working with the magnet tangram, the other children will be sitting at their desks trying to create the picture with their own tangrams.

Lesson Ending

Fulfillment

Compliment the group on their hard work and success in making the tangram pictures. Ask the class what their favorite tangram picture to make was.

Closure

Have the children summarize what we learned today about tangrams and creating animal tangrams.

Homework

Tell students that they should take their paper constructed tangrams home and see if they can make a tangram of the animal that they’re each studying for their animal project. They should try and trace around the tangram to create the picture on paper (to share in class).

Assessment

At the end of all the lessons on tangrams, I would have each child demonstrate how the 7 pieces of the tangram fit together into a square. I would also use pages from My first tangram activity book to assess if the child can fit various shapes together to create something new. I would also ask what observations the child could make about any aspect of tangrams.

Name	Skill One	Skill Two	Skill Three

Key

Skill 1 -- Can the child fit the shapes together into a square (without help or reference)? Check/minus

Skill 2 -- The teacher selects 3 shapes from My first tangram activity book. The child should accurately complete at least 2 of the shapes.
3 shapes --plus
2 shapes -- check
1 or less shapes -- minus

Skill 3 -- Can the child make any 2 observations about tangrams?
Clearly describes 2 observations about tangrams -- plus
Describes 2 observations about tangrams -- check
Describes 1 or no observations about tangrams -- minus