I wanted to do a few fun projects to go along with our geometry unit in math. We wrote little mini books called “My Geometry Book of Shapes.” They each had 8 pages with 8 shapes. Most were 3D shapes but there were a few 2D.
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My Geometry Book of Shapes…..I once was a sphere, but now I”m a soccer ball on the UTAH REAL team’s game!
Open ended math writing prompts are differentiation naturally. I like to add a writing prompt to my math once a month and get 5 birds with 1 stone. (math problem solving, differentiation, punctuation and creative writing practice mixed in with some cool art!) And talk about engagement…. Kids LOVE these kinds of multilevel, multisubject projects.
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| Here’s one of the cool books I read during this unit; The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns. It’s a great one that talks about 3D shapes and 2D shapes in a fun way. |
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| I found some fun worksheets to look at “edges and vertices” of shapes too. This goes along with our math unit in Geometry. Check them out HERE at ezschool. |
We started with “I once was a sphere, but now I’m a _____________. They had to fill it in with a real world something with that shape. Then they had to add a describing adjective, and an adverb of time or place.
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| In the past I have bought Pattern Block Stickers for this design art, but this year I had 30 kids so I just punched out lots of colorful pattern block shapes out of the Ellison Die Cuts. It took me over an hour to do enough! Whew! |
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| Lines of symmetry in a few of these pattern block picture designs |
I had them make a pattern block sticker design using hexagons at the center. I told them to do anything they wanted but that I was looking for a few to be symmetrical. I ended up getting about a third of the class doing symmetry designs and 2/3rds that did other designs. Then I post a question;
WHICH OF THESE DESIGNS SHOW A LINE OF SYMMETRY? It is fun and challenging for the kids to pick out the truly symmetrical designs!!
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| I love how colorful and creative these pattern block art designs look too on black paper. I’ve seen them done on white paper plates too, but I think the darker color looks cool. Maybe we will try them on yellow plates one year, that might be cool! |
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| Can you find the symmetrical one in this pattern block picture group? There is only one! |
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| This is a fun center for the week too, magnetic pattern blocks. I have a magnet center in my room just made from using the side of a black filing cabinet. I have a rug in front of it and lots of magnetic games for fast finishers in math. |
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| How about symmetry in this Pattern Blocks Design; there are a few! |
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| Tell Which Designs are SYMMETRY? |
They turned out really fun to look at and share. The students were very creative and did a beautiful JOB!
HERE’S THE WRITING PROJECT:
Making a Geometry Book. The pages in it go like this…..”I once was a _________ but now I’m a _________. Fill in with circle to sphere, or triange to pyramid, or square to cube. (I once was a circle, but now I’m a sphere shaped basketball in a Laker’s Game.)
The students then draw a picture of a real life example with a sentence to describe how it is used or where they would find it.
Another Example: I once was a square but now I’m a cube of ice in a cold glass of Coke. Then they draw a glass with cubed ice inside. It’s a lot of fun.
Each child does 5 to 7 pages and it takes a few days of writing time. But it’s great integration of math and writing.
