Flips, Turns, and Slides

We began this study by using pentominoes.  We flipped them, turned then, and slid them around.  We explored different methods of translation, and we recorded our observations on graph paper.  On the next day, we began using reflection mirrors to better understand the "flip."  We played games of billiards and darts (ask your child about it) to better understand this concept of reflection.  We noticed that points on the pre-image and image are always an equal distance away from the point of reflection.  Our final exploration was with pattern blocks (I saw Mrs. Stucky doing this with her students, and I thought it was a great idea).  Students created an image using pattern blocks, and then created the reflection.  Students used their reflection mirrors to check their work.  Here are a few pictures of the reflections they created.

Reflections (Flips)

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Building Polygons

In math workshop, our new unit of study is on geometry.  Yesterday's lesson explored polygons.  We began by exploring what a polygon actually is.  By studying examples and non-examples, we found out that polygons have straight sides, at least three vertices, one interior, and is a closed shape.  We then set out to build as many different polygons as we could.  After each team was given straws and twist-ties, they quickly began building.  After 10 minutes of creating shapes, we decided to classify our polygons by their number of sides.  We built everything from triangles to decagons!  Here are a few pictures of our students building their shapes. 

Building Polygons

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