Geometry Shape Books and Pattern Block Art

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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! 

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!!

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! 



Can you find the symmetrical one in this pattern block picture group? There is only one! 
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. 
How about symmetry in this Pattern Blocks Design; there are a few! 

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.