Tangrams - Our New Math Unit

 

In our new math unit, we are going to be working with tangrams! Tangrams are a set of 7 shapes (2 large right triangles, a medium right triangle, 2 small right triangles, a square, and a rhombus). Today we began by reading a story called Grandfather Tang's Story, a folk tale about a grandfather and granddaughter who create a story about two foxes that transform into different animals. The story is illustrated with tangram shapes manipulated to form different animal images.

Then we tried to make tangram animals of our very own. First, we tried the ones from the story where the cards showed us the order for the pieces. Next, we attempted more challenging puzzles where the template only suggested and outline and we needed to use guess and check to figure out which shape went where.

In the next two weeks we will be learning about congruent shapes, right angles, lines of symmetry in shapes, area, perimeter, corners (or vertices), and shapes with a variety numbers of sides (hexagons, pentagons, and quadrilaterals). We will learn to analyze and describe these two-dimensional shapes using their different properties as well as how to find the area and perimeter of these shapes. Through our work with tangrams, we will explore the multiplication facts for 2s and 3s. It's really exciting to try a puzzle that seems impossible but by flipping or turning a single piece, we can change the entire image! We look forward to sharing pictures of our own tangram designs, patterns, and images. 

In addition to developing our mathematician selves, we will also practice our logic, problem solving. and spatial visualization skills as we attempt to construct more and more complex tangram puzzles. So far it's been so much fun that we forget that we are doing math!