A couple months back, I blogged about using attributes to define 2-dimensional shapes in a post called Why is a Triangle a Triangle? I just finished up a little assessment my first grade teachers will use to assess their kiddos on attributes, and I thought I’d share it..
Here are a couple of things to notice:
- In question 1, the triangles all look different. It’s important that kiddos see lots of types of each shape so they don’t have one fixed image in their head when they hear the name of a shape.
- Notice also in question 1 that some of the shapes are rotated. That might not seem like a big deal, but kiddos need to know it’s still the same shape even if it’s turned.
- It’s okay for even first graders to use formal geometric vocabulary. The students are learning the word vertex (vertices is the plural), so I included the more familiar word, corners, in parenthesis.
- You can introduce a little problem solving by requiring the kiddos to do something mathematically with the attributes, as I did in question 5. Not only do they have to count the sides of each shape, but they need to understand that to combine them means to add them all up.
Click here to download the assessment. Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by and found something useful! 🙂
Thanks for the geometric assessment! I always enjoy looking at your blog!
I totally agree with your ideas about kids seeing different types of triangles. I have run into a lot of K-2 kids who think an equilateral triangle (green pattern block) is the only triangles that exists. There is such a wide range of triangles that kids should be exposed to.
Tara
The Math Maniac
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Amy
Thanks so much!!! 🙂
Thank you! I will use this with my first graders!
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas:-)
This is a useful tool!
Glad to hear it!