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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Crossing Curriculum with Tangrams



Let’s check multiple things off our list to do at one time, shall we?  Let’s kill 3 birds with one stone!  Let’s....
CROSS CURRICULUM!

It’s one of my favorite challenges to give myself as a teacher and is how I structure my classroom décor and student work for Open House (more on that later)

P L U S it’s so aesthetically pleasing!!!
So let’s get started, shall we?
Tangrams:  They are so important for students to work with in order to develop spatial awareness and problem solving skills...in math.  But here are some books and resources to help you make tangrams into a whole unit that includes not only math, but also social studies, reading and writing!

First, I display the 7 tangram pieces and review the names of each shape.  Next, I explain that we are going to solve puzzles with these 7 pieces.  We work on performing vocabulary words such as rotate, flip, and slide. 

Math: CHECK!
Everyone loves a read aloud, so then I  read The Warlord’s Puzzle by Virginia Walton Pilegard.   



This is a great time to show China on a map or globe & even talk about the clothes and customs seen in the book.   


Challenge your students to do a 5 Finger Retell of the story and Boom! Reading & Social Studies: CHECK!
Next, inspire your students to write creative stories with all the elements of a story with the next book: GrandpaTang’s Story by Ann Rompert. 

Students can relate to Grandfather’s stories because they have been solving tangram puzzles already and are eager to write their own stories!

 So they choose their tangram animal and get writing with the objective of using the story elements!
Once they write their story on publishing paper, they get to trace their tangram animal onto a cover sheet.

My students L O V E that they are not only the authors of their stories, but also the illustrators!
BOOM! Writing: CHECK!
 
There ya have it!  Four subjects focusing on one topic that students are familiar with and can get excited about!

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