Primary Type: Formative Assessment
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 70605
Classifying Quadrilaterals
Students are given a diagram of quadrilaterals that have been sorted and are asked to determine how the shapes were sorted. Then, students are
given two additional quadrilaterals and asked to place them into the appropriate region on the diagram.
Subject(s): Mathematics
Grade Level(s): 5
Intended Audience: Educators
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: MFAS, classify, quadrilaterals, attributes, sort
Resource Collection: MFAS Formative Assessments
ATTACHMENTS
MFAS_ClassifyingQuadrilaterals_Worksheet.pdf
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASK
Instructions for Implementing the Task
This task should be implemented individually.
1. The teacher provides the student with the first page of the Classifying Quadrilaterals worksheet. Prior to giving the task, the teacher should cut out the two quadrilaterals
on the second page of the worksheet.
2. The teacher says to the student, “All of these shapes are quadrilaterals, and these at the bottom have been grouped to show some specific attributes they have in
common. Can you explain why these quadrilaterals are sorted this way?”
3. The teacher listens as the student explains the placement and grouping of the various quadrilaterals. If necessary, the teacher can prompt with questions such as:
What do these two shapes (pointing to the parallelograms that are not a rectangle or a square) have in common with each other? What are the names of these
quadrilaterals?
Why are these two shapes (pointing to the two quadrilaterals at the top) not grouped with the other quadrilaterals at the bottom?
What is the shape in the middle of the Venn diagram? What are the shapes to the left of the square? What about the shapes to the right of the square? If the
student correctly says rhombuses and rectangles, the teacher should ask the student, “What can we say about squares?”
4. The teacher then provides the student with the two shapes from the second page of the Classifying Quadrilaterals worksheet and asks the student to place each
quadrilateral into the appropriate region in the diagram based on their respective attributes.
5. After the student places both shapes, the teacher should ask the student to explain his or her reasoning.
page 1 of 3 TASK RUBRIC
Getting Started
Misconception/Error
The student is unable to correctly identify quadrilaterals.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student does not recognize the defining attributes of parallelograms, rhombuses, squares, and rectangles and may refer to the shapes incorrectly. The student’s
reasoning about the different shapes contains limited vocabulary related to the attributes (e.g., the student may say that rectangles have “two long sides and two short
sides”). The student is unable to correctly sort the two additional shapes.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
What do all of these shapes have in common?
How are these shapes different? Why do some of these shapes fit into multiple categories?
Which shapes have parallel sides? Which have perpendicular sides? Which have right angles?
How can you classify and understand relationships among 2D-figures using their attributes?
Instructional Implications
Review the terms quadrilateral, polygon, parallelogram, rhombus, square, and rectangle and their definitions. Provide the student with extensive exposure to a variety of
different quadrilaterals. Guide the student to focus on the defining attributes of each shape (e.g., rectangles are quadrilaterals with four right angles, and a rhombus is a
quadrilateral with four congruent sides). Model the use of mathematical terminology to describe specific attributes of shapes. Help the student develop an understanding of
the concept of types of quadrilaterals by showing a variety of examples and non-examples. Assist the student in using mathematical terminology to describe quadrilaterals
(e.g., quadrilaterals are polygons with four sides; quadrilaterals also have four angles and four vertices; the lengths of the sides of quadrilaterals are not always the same).
Have the student practice analyzing, comparing, and classifying shapes based on properties by providing the student with a set of shape cards or power polygons. Have the
student sort the shapes into categories that are provided or allow the student to create categories. Ask the student to justify classifications by referring to defining
attributes.
Consider using the MFAS task Identifying Quadrilaterals (3.G.1.1) to assess the student's understanding of the defining attributes of certain quadrilaterals.
Making Progress
Misconception/Error
The student is unable to adequately explain how the quadrilaterals are sorted.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student can name some of the shapes and describe how they are sorted by describing their defining attributes. However, when asked to sort the two remaining
shapes, the student errs and misplaces one or both shapes but self-corrects when questioned.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
How can you classify different types of quadrilaterals?
How are quadrilaterals alike and different?
What shapes can fit under multiple categories? Why?
What is the definition of a rhombus? Rectangle? Square?
Why is a square always a rectangle?
What are the attributes of this shape (holding up one of the cut out shapes)? What is the name of this shape?
Instructional Implications
Be sure the student understands the structure of the diagram and the attributes shared among the shapes within the nested boundaries. Emphasize the use of attributes
of shapes to classify and sort shapes. Discuss how shapes can be classified into categories and sub-categories (e.g., a rectangle and a square are both quadrilaterals, but a
square is also a rectangle and a rhombus). Ask the student to describe the additional shapes and use the attributes to place each in the diagram.
page 2 of 3 Have the student create a flipbook of shapes in which the student records a category (e.g., quadrilaterals, polygons, parallelograms, etc.) and definition. The student then
draws a shape or two to match. Next, have the student create sub-categories (e.g., rectangles, rhombus, etc.) and have the student identify shapes that fall into multiple
categories.
Got It
Misconception/Error
The student provides complete and correct responses to all components of the task.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student clearly explains that the shapes are sorted into rhombuses, rectangles, parallelograms, quadrilaterals, and a square. Additionally, the student is able to describe
the shapes and the sorting based on the defining attributes of each shapes. Then, the student correctly sorts the two remaining shapes and places one with the
quadrilaterals and the other with the parallelograms.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
Another student incorrectly said that these irregular quadrilaterals are trapezoids. What is a trapezoid? What are the attributes of a trapezoid?
Instructional Implications
Provide the student with a blank diagram and a variety of quadrilaterals. Have the student sort the shapes into the diagram and label each set of shapes in the diagram.
Challenge the students with shapes that do not overlap (e.g., give the student concave quadrilaterals and squares and ask the student to sort using a Venn diagram).
Consider using the MFAS task Trapezoids (5.G.2.4) to assess the student’s understanding of how the hierarchy of quadrilaterals can change based on which trapezoid
definition is adopted.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Special Materials Needed:
One copy of the Classifying Quadrilaterals worksheet
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: MFAS FCRSTEM
Name of Author/Source: MFAS FCRSTEM
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Okaloosa
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
MAFS.5.G.2.4:
Description
Classify and organize two-dimensional figures into Venn diagrams based on the attributes of the figures.
page 3 of 3