Shape Robots

In kindergarten, we are wrapping up our Flat Shapes Unit.  We spent time learning about many different shapes including, circle, oval, crescent, triangle, square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon.  We can identify these shapes and also tell the number of sides and vertices.  Part of learning about these shapes includes understanding that regardless of the size or orientation the shape is still the same shape.  We had some fantastic discussions about the similarities and differences between a square, rectangle, trapezoid, and rhombus.  It was easier to distinguish a triangle from a square because of the number of sides and vertices, but it was interesting to hear a kindergartener's perspective of the differences between shapes with the same number of sides and vertices.  It was also fun to point out that a triangle is still a triangle when turned not an "upside-down triangle."

One of the most challenging aspects of this unit was teaching how to draw the different shapes.  Some shapes are much easier to draw than other shapes.  In order to help students draw the shapes they brainstormed ideas of how to use the shapes we already learned how to draw in order to create the more challenging shapes.  For example, we noticed that a trapezoid can be made out of two right triangles and a square.  Then, we could make a trapezoid.  When making a hexagon, we noticed that we could use two trapezoids or six triangles.

As we continued to review the shapes we created some Shape Robots!  Here are some of our creations using many different shapes!