Problem
Can you make

With

What is this problem about?
This problem helps develop children's spatial skills. As the children handle the shapes and join them together they strengthen their understandings of the attributes of shapes. This lesson also gives children the opportunity to make up their own puzzles which is good for building confidence.

Achievement Objectives
Geometry (Level 1)
- identify, and describe in their own language, two-dimensional shapes

Mathematical Processes
- devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (guess and check).

Resources
Blackline master of the problem
Mosaic shapes or attribute blocks (squares, parallelograms, triangles, hexagons)

Specific learning outcomes
The children will be able to:
- join shapes together to form other shapes
- identify and describe shapes

1. Introduce the problem by showing a rhombus, a triangle and a trapezium. Ask the children what shape they can make by joining the shapes.
   Let the children work for a couple of minutes with the shapes and then talk about what they found.
2. Show a hexagon.
   Can you use the 3 shapes to make this shape?
3. Pose the problem.
4. As the children work on the problem ask:
   How are you solving the problem?
   How did you decide where to put the shapes?
   What can you tell me about this shape?
5. Share solutions

Extension to the problem
Make your own puzzles for your friends to solve.
Hint: Place a loop of masking tape, with the sticky side out, to the blocks to hold them together when tracing the puzzle outline.

Answer