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.

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.

Geometry meets data in this fun lesson! Students will build a design using pattern blocks and then graph the number of each shape used. This scaffolded EL lesson can be used alone or alongside Graphing Colored Counters.