Identifying and Exploring Shapes
Invite students to examine the pattern blocks. Help them identify
each one: green triangle, red trapezoid, beige rhombuses, blue parallelogram, orange square, and yellow hexagon.
Display one block at a time on your board, and discuss it with your
students. To help them learn each shape’s characteristics, ask questions
such as, “How many corners does the square have? How many sides?
Are all the sides the same length?”
For older students, use the blocks to introduce math vocabulary terms
such as line, angle, vertex, side, diagonal, and parallel.
Designed to meet these objectives:
Math
• Students will recognize 2-dimensional shapes.
• Students will understand spatial relationships.
• Students will build and extend patterns.
You’ll find dozens of ways to use these giant blocks in your classroom!
The blocks are ideal for exploring shapes, patterns, and symmetry.
Best of all, because they stick to any magnetic surface, the blocks can
be used on whiteboards, magnetic easels, and more. To get started,
try some of the engaging activities in this guide.
What’s Included
• 27 green triangles
• 18 red trapezoids
• 16 beige rhombuses
• 15 blue parallelograms
• 10 orange squares
• 6 yellow hexagons
Suggested Activities
Shape Exploration
Place the pattern blocks on your board or another surface that students can access them. Encourage students to explore the shapes on
their own before moving on to more guided activities. Can they put
shapes together to make new shapes? Do any of the shapes fit
together? Which shape is the biggest? Which is the smallest? Allow
students to use the shapes independently until they are familiar with
each one.
(continued on back)
© 2008 Lakeshore
(800) 428-4414
www.lakeshorelearning.com
DD507
Ages 3+
Printed in Taiwan
Creating Patterns
Use the pattern blocks to create a simple pattern. You can form a
pattern based on the shape or color of the blocks. Ask a volunteer to
duplicate your pattern, then extend it by adding more blocks. Have
another student duplicate this new pattern, then extend it. Repeat
with other patterns. Next, prompt students to use the blocks to create
their own patterns for other children to duplicate. Ask students to
describe their patterns, identifying which shapes they used.
Creating & Combining Shapes
Show students a blue parallelogram and two green triangles. Ask if
anyone can use the triangles to copy the shape of the parallelogram.
Then, move on to other shapes. Can anyone duplicate the yellow
hexagon using two red trapezoids?
When students are familiar with the concept, move on to more complex combinations. How many different ways can students find to
copy the shape of a trapezoid? Explain that shapes that are identical
in size and form are called congruent.
Symmetry
Explain the concept of symmetry. Explain that a symmetrical shape
can be divided into two halves that are mirror images of each other.
Ask, “Which of these pattern blocks are symmetrical?” (All of them.)
Distribute the shapes and have students trace them onto paper.
Prompt students to cut out the shapes and find their lines of symmetry
by folding the shapes in half. How many different lines of symmetry
can they find for each shape?
Challenge students to combine two identical shapes to form a new
shape. Is the new shape symmetrical? Why or why not?
Identifying and Exploring Shapes
Invite students to examine the pattern blocks. Help them identify
each one: green triangle, red trapezoid, beige rhombuses, blue parallelogram, orange square, and yellow hexagon.
Display one block at a time on your board, and discuss it with your
students. To help them learn each shape’s characteristics, ask questions
such as, “How many corners does the square have? How many sides?
Are all the sides the same length?”
For older students, use the blocks to introduce math vocabulary terms
such as line, angle, vertex, side, diagonal, and parallel.
Designed to meet these objectives:
Math
• Students will recognize 2-dimensional shapes.
• Students will understand spatial relationships.
• Students will build and extend patterns.
You’ll find dozens of ways to use these giant blocks in your classroom!
The blocks are ideal for exploring shapes, patterns, and symmetry.
Best of all, because they stick to any magnetic surface, the blocks can
be used on whiteboards, magnetic easels, and more. To get started,
try some of the engaging activities in this guide.
What’s Included
• 27 green triangles
• 18 red trapezoids
• 16 beige rhombuses
• 15 blue parallelograms
• 10 orange squares
• 6 yellow hexagons
Suggested Activities
Shape Exploration
Place the pattern blocks on your board or another surface that students can access them. Encourage students to explore the shapes on
their own before moving on to more guided activities. Can they put
shapes together to make new shapes? Do any of the shapes fit
together? Which shape is the biggest? Which is the smallest? Allow
students to use the shapes independently until they are familiar with
each one.
(continued on back)
© 2008 Lakeshore
(800) 428-4414
www.lakeshorelearning.com
DD507
Ages 3+
Printed in Taiwan
Creating Patterns
Use the pattern blocks to create a simple pattern. You can form a
pattern based on the shape or color of the blocks. Ask a volunteer to
duplicate your pattern, then extend it by adding more blocks. Have
another student duplicate this new pattern, then extend it. Repeat
with other patterns. Next, prompt students to use the blocks to create
their own patterns for other children to duplicate. Ask students to
describe their patterns, identifying which shapes they used.
Creating & Combining Shapes
Show students a blue parallelogram and two green triangles. Ask if
anyone can use the triangles to copy the shape of the parallelogram.
Then, move on to other shapes. Can anyone duplicate the yellow
hexagon using two red trapezoids?
When students are familiar with the concept, move on to more complex combinations. How many different ways can students find to
copy the shape of a trapezoid? Explain that shapes that are identical
in size and form are called congruent.
Symmetry
Explain the concept of symmetry. Explain that a symmetrical shape
can be divided into two halves that are mirror images of each other.
Ask, “Which of these pattern blocks are symmetrical?” (All of them.)
Distribute the shapes and have students trace them onto paper.
Prompt students to cut out the shapes and find their lines of symmetry
by folding the shapes in half. How many different lines of symmetry
can they find for each shape?
Challenge students to combine two identical shapes to form a new
shape. Is the new shape symmetrical? Why or why not?