72 Geometry © 2011 Get Set for School™ © 2011 Get Set for School™ Discovery Play: Mix & Make Shapes 73

Discovery Play

Materials• VarietyofMix&

MakeShapes

Discovery Play with Mix & Make Shapes ChildrenarenaturallydrawntobuildingwithMix&Makeshapes.DiscoveryPlayisatimeforthemtobuildfreely,creatingbeautifuldesigns,usingshapestobuildpictures,andtestinghowtomaketallstructures.Inthisplay,theyareexperimentingwithsize,area,andpatternswhilebuildinganunderstandingofthepropertiesofeachshape.DiscoveryPlaywillmaketeacher-leddiscussionsmoreinterestingbecausechildrenwillmakeconnectionstotheirplayexperiences.

Including Discovery Play in Your DayChildrenneedtimetopracticeskillsthattheyhavelearnedtogeneralizethemintotheirworld.Theyshouldhavetimetoexploreeveryday. Mix&MakeShapescanbeapartofthisplay.Setoutspecificshapesorspecificcombinationofshapestoencouragecuriosity.Childrenwillwonder,“WhatcanIdowiththeshapestoday?”

Procedure - Look What I Made!• Haveshapesavailableonatableorspecificplay/workarea.Children

canworkindividuallyorinpairstocreatepicturesordesignswith theshapes.Childrenwillexploreinmanydifferentways:making picturessuchasahouse,face,orflower;makingpatternsorfitting shapestogether.

• Encouragechildrentotalkabouttheircreations.Askquestionsabouttheirdesigns.What colors did you use? What shape did you put on top? What did you make? How many circles did you use?

• Aschildreninteractwiththeshapesandwitheachother,theywillusewordstodescribespatialrelationships,position,location,colors,numbers,andshapenames.

OtherideasforDiscoveryPlay:• Makeapuzzle:putouttheshapesandhavechildrentrytomatch

theshapes.Youcanputoutonlymatchingsetsorincreasethenumberofshapesforachallenge.

• Sort:putouttheshapesandhavechildrensortthembyshape,color,orsize.

• Addmoreobjects:includesomeofthepiecesorPatternBoardsfrom 4SquaresMoreSquares.

Where you’ll see them

Number & Operations

Geometry

Patterns & Algebra

Measurement & Time

You’ll like them because . . .Thelargesizesandthickfoampiecesareperfectforlittlehandstoplace.Thecolorshelpchildren findmatchingpiecesandcreatetheirowndesigns.Childrencancombinesmallerpiecestomake largepieces.Eachshapeisapuzzlewaitingtobesolved.Theversatileshapesareidealforsortingactivities,patternbuilding,andcounting.

Geometry is fun and accessible with Mix & Make Shapes.Withmultisensoryactivities,preschoolerspracticeproblemsolvingandspatialreasoningastheyexplorethesemulticoloredshapes.ChildrendiscovernewideaswithMix&MakeShapes.Theproductincludesanassortmentofshapes.

• Triangles:4large,2medium,8smallrighttriangles,and8smallisoscelestriangles• Rectangles:4large,4small• Squares:4large,4medium,8small• Circles:4large,4small• 4Semicirclesand8quartercircles• 2Ovalsand2amoebashapes

Mix & Make Shapes™

More to LearnLook What We're Learning Vocabulary

88 Geometry © 2011 Get Set for School™ © 2011 Get Set for School™ Are You My Match? 89

Are You My Match?

Materials/Setup:•Mix&MakeShapes –Circles–1large,

afewsmall*

–Triangles–1large, afewsmall*

–Rectangles–1large, afewsmall*

*eachchildneedsonesmallshape

Grouping:Smallgrouporwholeclass

English Language Learners:Practicethepatternofquestionandanswerwiththisactivity.Modelhowtorephrasethequestionintoananswer.Are you my shape? No, you are not my shape.

ObjectiveChildrenfindsimilarshapesofdifferentsizes.

ActivityThe little shapes want to find something big that is the same shape. Can you help?

1. Askthreestudentstostandinaline.Giveeachchildabigshape.

2. Handoutsmallshapestotheotherchildreninthegroup.Keeparectangleforyourself.

3. Showhowtocheckforamatch.Are you my shape? No! My shape has four corners. Your shape doesn’t have corners. Continueuntilyoufindthebigrectangle.

4. Giveeachchildachancetofindabigshapeofthesamekind.Encouragethemtotalkaboutwhytheirshapesarethesame ordifferent.

Check for Understanding

Postthebigshapesindifferentcornersoftheroom.Givechildren asmallshape.Askthemtomovetothebigshapethatmatches theirshape.Aretheyabletomakeamatch?

Support:Startwiththecircleandtriangle.Talkaboutcornersandsidestoexplainwhyshapesmatch.

My Shapes MatchUsethe4SquaresMoreSquarespiecestomatchdifferentsizeshapes.Usethered,green,andblue BigPieces.GiveayellowLittlePiecetoeachchild andhaveherfindthebigshapethatmatches(red).

I Like Squares, TooForanextrachallenge,includebigandsmallsquaresintheactivity.Talkaboutwhatthesquaresandrectangleshaveincommon.

bigcornerlittlesameshape

Geometry• Recognizethatshapescanbethesame

evenifsizesdifferNumber & Operations• Verballycountasetoffiveobjects

Social-Emotional• Taketurns

Match Shapes of Dif ferent SizesShapescanbesimilarevenwhentheyaredifferentsizes.Ashapewiththreesidesandthreecornersisatrianglenomatterwhatsizeitis.Yourchildrenarereadytolearnthisbymatchingshapesofdifferentsizes.Thisactivityhelpsthemlearnthecharacteristicstonotice(sidesandcorners)and thecharacteristicstoignore(sizeandcolor)whentheysortbyshape.

Are You My Match?

MatchShapes Match Shapes of Different Sizes MoveShapestoMatch

More to Learn

92 Geometry © 2011 Get Set for School™

Round and Round We Go

© 2011 Get Set for School™ Round and Round We Go 93

Curious CurvesYou can also use Wood Pieces for Capital Letters. Use Big Curves and Little Curves to build circles.

Is It a Circle?For a real challenge, show students all the pieces with curved sides. Which ones are circles? How do you know?

Materials/Setup:•Mix&MakeShapes – 2 Large circles

– 2 Small circles

– 4 Half circles

– 8 Quarter circles

Grouping:Small group (4)

English Language Learners:Use this opportunity to build vocabulary. Help children find and name things that are circles (e.g.,wheel,clock,cracker).Children may name objects in their home language. This isokay.Encouragethemtospeakinanylanguagesothat they feel comfortable and part of the class.

Support:Havechildrentracethesmallorangecircles.Askthemtotellyouabouttheir circles.

ObjectiveChildren identify and describe circles.

ActivityToday we will build a shape that goes round and round.

1. Show a big circle. Circles have one round side and no corners. They can roll smoothly along the floor.

2. Give each child a circle. Roll your circle with me. Roll it on your arm. Roll it over your head. Roll it down your body.

3. Pair students who have green circles with students who have orange circles. Give each child a yellow half circle.

4. Put your orange circle on the ground. I have a trick, a trick for you. I can make one out of two. Put two yellow half circles on top of the orange circle. Now you try!

5. Give each child two blue quarter circles. Put your green circle on the ground. I have a trick, a trick on the floor. I can make one out of four. Put four blue quarter circles on top of the green circle. Now you try!

Check for Understanding

Afterchildrenbuildcirclesaskquestions.Did you build a circle? How do you know? Are they able to describe circles?

Describe CirclesCircles are the easiest shape for children to recognize. They can be found all around—in wheels, buttons,andpancakes.CirclesmaketheletterOandnumber0(zero).Withthisactivity,childrendescribewhatmakesthisfamiliarshapeacircle.

Round and Round We Go

MoveShapestoMatch Describe Circles Describe Rectangles

Look What We're Learning

Geometry• IdentifyanddescribecirclesNumber & Operations• Verballycountasetoffiveobjects

Problem Solving• UsemanipulativestofindasolutionSocial-Emotional• Taketurns

cornercurverollroundside

Vocabulary