- Objectives
- To
introduce children to shapes: triangle, square, circle, rectangle
- To
introduce children to patterns: shapes, colors, sizes
- Introduction
- Define Shape a closed object. For basic understanding
by this age category, it is often easiest to show these objects
as being made
by their own hands/fingers.
- Define Triangle a three sided
shape with three points (angles if they can handle the vocabulary)
- Define Square a four sided shape with each side
being the same length.
- Define Rectangle a four sided shape with
two long sides and two short sides.
- Define Circle a round shape
which is flat (to distinguish it from a ball which is a sphere)
- Define
Pattern an arrangement of shapes and colors in some regular order.
- Get the children thinking about shapes and patterns.
- Where
do we find shapes?
- Where do we find patterns?
- Are shapes and patterns
sometimes together?
- Where does color fit in shapes?
- Think about
patterns in nature.
- Now think about them particularly
with color, such as a rainbow.
- Would it still be a rainbow without
the colors?
- If the animal is black and white striped, it
is probably a zebra. \If it is black and yellow striped,
it is probably a tiger.
- Now think what happens if we put two
shapes together? (Try with two squares
and get a rectangle,
two triangles
for a diamond, four squares, four
triangles, etc.) See if circles can outline a big bumpy
circle.
- Introduce some of the different
forms of shapes available for them
to use.
- Encourage pattern making
with the different shapes.
- Encourage
the children to move around and not be limited
to small spaces.
- Program
- Lay
out the various types of blocks, shapes, forms, etc.
- Introduce
some of the different forms of shapes available for them to
use.
- Encourage pattern making with the different shapes.
- Encourage the children to move around and not
be limited to small spaces.
- Remind children that patterns can
be with different shapes, colors, sizes, textures.
- General
- Expect
different types of blocks and shapes to get somewhat mixed
as children explore them.
- There will be a lot of stacking of items
to see how tall they can
be without falling over. This is still exploring patterns
and shapes as they learn which are most efficient or easiest
to stack.
- Notice that in many cases, if you lay things out
on tables, they will stay on tables, if on the floor, they will
stay on
the floor. Few younger
children will realize that if they move the blocks
from
the table to the floor, they may be easier to stack since they
don’t need to
reach over their heads to stack them.
(If working with 6-8 year olds, they are more likely
to make this shift.)
- Periodic encouragement and reassurance
will be needed as many ask, “Is
this right?” or “Is this good?”. Remind
them that patterns are “an arrangement of shapes and
colors in some regular order.” There
is not a right or wrong.
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