Lesson 14

Compose with Solid Shapes

Warm-up: Number Talk: Subtract 1 and 2 (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this Number Talk is to elicit strategies and understandings students have for adding within 5. These understandings help students develop fluency with adding and subtracting within 5.

Launch

  • Display one expression.
  • “Give me a signal when you have an answer and can explain how you got it.”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • Record answers and strategy.
  • Keep expressions and work displayed.
  • Repeat with each expression.

Student Facing

Find the value of each expression.

  • \(3 - 1\)

  • \(3 - 2\)

  • \(4 - 2\)

  • \(5 - 1\)

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “How do you like to subtract 2?”

Activity 1: Build with Solid Shapes (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to explore building with solid shapes. Students use the solid shapes that they have been working with in previous lessons. Students may use the shapes to create representations of objects, such as building a house, or they may experiment with putting shapes together. The purpose of the activity synthesis is to highlight using names of shapes and positional words to describe what they built (MP6).

MLR2 Collect and Display. Circulate, listen for and collect the positional words students use as they describe shapes. On a visible display, record words and phrases such as: “The cube is below the cylinder”, underlining the positional word with a drawing. Invite students to borrow language from the display as needed, and update it throughout the lesson.
Advances: Conversing, Reading

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give students access to solid shapes and geoblocks.
  • “Use the solid shapes to build anything you want.”

Activity

  • 5 minutes: independent work time
  • “Describe what you built to your partner.”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Monitor for students who use the names of shapes and positional language to describe what they built.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite selected students to share what they built and the shapes that they used.
  • As students share, ask questions involving positional words, such as:
    • “Where is the cylinder in ______’s creation?”
    • “Which shape is on top of the cube?”

Activity 2: Build My Shape (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to build with solid shapes. Students practice using names of solid shapes and positional words as they try to recreate a building (MP6). Initially, students recreate what their partner built. Then students work together to build.

Engagement: Internalize Self-Regulation. Provide students an opportunity to self-assess and reflect on the shapes they used to build their partner’s design. For example, I used the cone to create the pointy part of the design.
Supports accessibility for: Memory, Organization

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

  • Create a building with 6–8 solid shapes to display and have a way to hide it from students’ view.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give students access to solid shapes and geoblocks.
  • “Choose who will build first. The first partner will use the solid shapes to build something. Watch as your partner builds.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time
  • “Use the solid shapes to build the same thing as your partner.”
  • 1 minute: independent work time
  • Repeat the steps above, with students switching roles.

Activity

  • “This time I am going to show you something that I built, and you and your partner will work together to try to make the same thing. But you will only get to look at what I built for one minute, so look closely and try to remember where the shapes go.”
  • Display the building, built with 6–8 solid shapes. Allow students to look at the building closely. Then cover the building.
  • “Work with your partner to build the same thing that I built.”
  • 3 minutes: partner work time

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite one partner from each group up to look at the building again.
  • “Now that you have seen what I built again, tell your partner where to put the shapes to revise what you built.”
  • 2 minutes: partner work time
  • Invite students to share how they changed their building using positional words and names of shapes.

Activity 3: Introduce Match Mine, Solid Shapes (25 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn stage 2 of the Match Mine center. Students use positional words as they build with solid shapes and describe what they have built. Folders or other objects can be used to keep students’ work hidden.

After they participate in the center, students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

  • Build Shapes
  • Geoblocks
  • Counting Collections
  • Shake and Spill

Required Materials

Required Preparation

  • Gather materials from: 
    • Build Shapes, Stages 1-3
    • Geoblocks, Stages 1-4
    • Counting Collections, Stage 1
    • Shake and Spill, Stages 1-4

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each group of students a folder and at least 8 solid shapes or geoblocks, with at least 2 of each type of shape.
  • “We are going to learn a new way to play the Match Mine center. It is called Match Mine, Solid Shapes.”
  • “One partner will choose 4 solid shapes and build something behind the folder. Then they will describe what they built and their partner will try to create the same thing without looking at it. When you’re both finished, remove the folder and compare. Was your partner able to build the exact same thing? What information would have helped them?”
  • If needed, play one round as a class.
  • “Take turns playing Match Mine with your partner.”

Activity

  • 7 minutes: center work time
  • “Now you can choose another center. You can also continue playing Match Mine.”
  • Display the center choices in the student book.
  • Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
  • 10 minutes: center work time
  • If time, invite students to choose another center.

Student Facing

Choose a center.

Build Shapes

Geoblocks

Counting Collections

Center. Counting Collections.

Match Mine

Center. Match Mine.

Shake and Spill

Center. Shake and Spill.

Activity Synthesis

  • “Which clues did your partner give you that were most helpful? Why were they helpful?”

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we built with solid shapes.”

Display a cylinder.

“What is the name of this shape?” (cylinder)

“Think of something that you could use a cylinder to build.” (A castle, a tower, a microphone, legs)

Cool-down: Unit 7, Section B Checkpoint (0 minutes)

Cool-Down

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