Building with Shapes

Counting Sides and Corners #

The two counts always match.

A flat shape with straight sides has one corner for every side

The dots are the corners. A triangle has 3 corners, and 3 sides between them.

A square has 4 corners and 4 sides. The two counts always match.

5 corners and 5 sides. A shape with 5 straight sides is a pentagon.

6 corners and 6 sides. A shape with 6 straight sides is a hexagon.

Making Shapes from Smaller Shapes #

Fit the pieces with no gaps.

Smaller shapes fitted together with no gaps make a bigger shape

Start with one square.

Two triangles, joined along the dotted line, make exactly this square.

Four smaller squares, packed with no gaps, build the same square again.

Two rectangles, one above the other, build it as well.

Continuing a Shape Pattern #

Find the group that repeats, then carry on.

A shape pattern repeats one group over and over, so the next shape is known

Read the row from the left: circle, square, circle, square.

The repeating group is circle then square. What belongs in the empty place?

A circle. After a square the group starts again, and it starts with a circle.

A group can be longer: triangle, square, square. Find the group, then carry on.

Copying a Figure on a Grid #

Count the gaps and the copy comes out true.

A figure is copied dot by dot: count the gaps along each side

A copy keeps every side the same length and every corner turning the same way.

Count the gaps between dots: the top side is 3 gaps, so the copy’s is 3 too.

Drawing Rectangles and Squares #

The fourth corner lines up with two others.

A rectangle’s fourth corner lines up with two of the others

A rectangle on the dots: opposite sides equal, every corner a square turn.

Make every side the same count of gaps — 3 and 3 — and the rectangle is a square.