How do you build spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving skills while doing something that is fun? With tangrams! In honor of Chinese New Year, this lesson introduces your students to the Chinese puzzle of tangrams.

It’s magic! In this lesson, students will “magically” move shapes together to form new shapes. Clay and toothpicks equal hands-on fun! Tangram challenges are provided for those students who need that little extra challenge.

In this lesson, students engage in interesting hands-on activities that help them discover the properties of parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines. Your little mathematicians will have a blast as they learn about geometry.

Students will love composing shapes using tangrams in this hands-on lesson! Use this plan alone or as a support lesson plan for the Tangrams: An Ancient Chinese Puzzle lesson plan.

Students will begin to calculate volume of different rectangular prisms using base ten cubes and then transition to using the formula V = L x W x H. Students will then practice using the legendary fifth grade activity, Cootie Catchers.

In this lesson, your students will become familiar with shapes by identifying them in real life. Your students will love identifying how many sides shapes have by drawing and counting them!

With this activity, students will identify shapes, build 3-D shapes, and practice describing shapes with a partner.

Use a scavenger hunt, art activity, and stickers to help kindergarteners understand shapes and positional language.

2D shapes are all around us! In this lesson students will explore the properties of four different shapes—triangles, circles, rectangles, and squares! They will learn that they can find these shapes anywhere in the world around us.

Allow your students to explore the pros and cons of different strategies used to find the area of rectangles. Use this as a stand alone lesson or as a pre-lesson for the Multiplication and Area in the Community Garden lesson.

Students will use their hands to mold clay into shapes, then divide those shapes into equal and unequal quarters.

Practice calculating perimeter with the placement of carnival-themed games with given rectangular dimensions. Your students will use grid paper to determine the location of all the games they choose to make the perfect carnival.

Students will use the inverse relationship between multiplication and division to complete an area formula in a real-world situation. Use this lesson on its own or as support for the lesson The Case of the Missing Rectangle Side.