Authentic Math: Quadrilaterals

Josh Westling
rd
3 Grade | Math – Geometry

Common Core Standards:

Geometry:
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.G.A.1 - Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses,
rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can
define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as
examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these
subcategories.
Measurement and Data:
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.D.8 - Solve real world and mathematical problems involving
perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side
length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and
different perimeters.
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.5 - Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand
concepts of area measurement.
 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7 - Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.

Lesson Summary:

This lesson will focus on quadrilaterals and their characteristics, specifically how rectangles, squares, and
rhombuses compare. This includes calculating the perimeter and area for each shape. Following a direct lesson
on these concepts, students will find these shapes in the world around them. In partners, students will explore
the community surrounding the school and take pictures of shapes that they can find. Students will present the
shapes they found to their classmates before using them to create perimeter/area word problems, which will be
solved by their peers.

Estimated Duration:

Five 50-minute class periods.

Commentary:

This lesson is all about finding the similarities and differences between squares, rectangles, and rhombuses.
The challenge of telling them apart and finding these comparisons will be how I intend to get my students
hooked into this lesson. The element of finding these shapes in the world around us will also be key for
keeping students engaged.
Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
1. Warm-Up (10 minutes) – At each table, students will have physical manipulatives representing each of the
focus shapes: square, rectangle, and rhombus. After I introduce the names of each shape, students will be
asked to create lists for each shape. These lists should include characteristics of each shape, i.e. number of
sides, length of sides, etc.
2. Mini-Lesson (10 minutes) – Teacher led instruction on the definining characteristics of each shape as well
as review of relevant terms (parallel sides, right angle, etc.)
Square: two sets of parallel sides, all sides equal length, four right angles
Rectangle: opposite sides equal/parallel, four right angles
Rhombus: two sets of parallel sides, all sides equal length, zero right angles
3. Stations (20 minutes) – Class will be split into four groups to work on activities that reinforce the
differences between shapes. I will be rotating to provide support and further instruction.
Station 1: Students will draw examples of these shapes they find in real life. They can use the
classroom, outside, or objects at home for ideas.
Station 2: Students will play a heads-up style game in which the shape is displayed, and students
describe the shape so they can guess which one it is.
Station 3: Students will play a memory style game in which use shape cards to see how many times
they can find the match to the card they flipped over.
Station 4: Students will play a spinner style game in which they have to name the shape of the
description that the spinner landed on.
4. Closing (10 minutes) – Still in their station groups, students will complete a triple Venn diagram that
compares and contrasts each of the three focus shapes. I will be rotating to provide support and further
instruction.
Day 2:
1. Introduction (10 minutes) – I will explain what today’s activity will entail as well as show how to use the
cameras and voice recorders. In pairs, students will explore the community just outside/surrounding our
school and find examples of the shapes we reviewed yesterday. When they find them, they will take a
picture using the cameras provided by the school. Once they’ve taken a picture, they will use a voice
recorder to document what the picture is, what shape it represents, and why they chose to take this picture.
Boundaries for where students can and cannot go will be made clear.
2. Taking Pictures (35 minutes) – As students are taking pictures, I along with aids/other teachers will be
around to talk with students as they decide what pictures to take as well as provide support for students
who need help finding objects.
3. Closing (5 minutes) – Students will come back inside, and I will preview how students will prepare to
show their photos to the class, starting tomorrow.
Day 3:
1. Introduction (10 minutes) – I will explain that students will use today to create their presentation of the
photos they took yesterday. A brief how-to will be shown for each possible option as well as how to upload
 photos to computers. Presentations will be created in the library using computers.
Choices will consist of:
 smilebox.com (digital scrapbook)
 photostory
 Power point
Presentations must include:
 Two photos of examples of shapes
 The shapes they represent
 Characteristics of that shape(s)
 Why they chose each photo
2. Work Time (40 minutes) – As students work, I will be around for support.
Day 4:
1. Presentations (50 minutes) – Each partner group will have the chance to present their photos and the shapes
they represent. As groups are presenting, students will be encouraged to take brief note of each
presentation and will have the chance to ask questions at the end.
Day 5:
1. Introduction (5 minutes) – Today, students will work with their partner to create word problems based off
of the photos they presented yesterday. Each group will prepare two word problems: one for perimeter and
one for area. Problems will be written on paper with room for the other group to solve and will include an
answer key that can be seen after they’ve attempted each problem.
2. Creating Problems (15 minutes) – As students work to create their problems, I will be around for support
and questions.
3. Solving Problems (15 minutes) – Groups will be assigned another group to switch with. Students will have
this time to solve the word problems and check their answers. Once a group is done, they can bring their
work to the original group. I will be rotating to provide support and further instruction.
4. Closing (5 minutes) – I will use this time to review what we’ve worked on through the week: the
similarities and differences between some quadrilaterals, examples of where we can find them in the real
world, as well as how we can create our own word problems.

Pre-Assessment:

Exit Ticket: Sometime before this lesson, students will be given an exit ticket that will act as a preview to our
next math unit. The exit ticket will have 9 questions. The first three will ask students to label each shape
(square, rectangle, rhombus). The next six will ask students to find the perimeter and area of each shape.

Scoring Guidelines:
Exit ticket will be not be graded in a formal sense but looked at to find particular areas that students may
struggle with. For example, I will look at which shape in particular most students had trouble labeling. Also, I
will look to see if either perimeter or area need to be reviewed before day 5.

Post-Assessment:

Exit Ticket: This will be similar to the pre-assessment with a few adjustments. Students will still be asked to
label each shape but instead of asking for perimeter/area, students will need to list defining characteristics of
each shape.

Scoring Guidelines:

The post-assessment will be graded for accuracy for the purpose of finding students who need further
instruction on aspects of the unit. It will be how I guide further instruction. For example, if majority of students
were unable to correctly label each shape, the unit will need more class time. If only a small number of
students had minor issues on the exit ticket, that could be taken care of in small groups or one-on-one
instruction.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Describe how instruction can be differentiated (changed or altered) to meet the needs of gifted or accelerated
students:
For gifted or accelerated students, an added aspect of the assignment could be to find other examples of shapes
when taking photos, i.e. triangle, trapezoid, etc. Another option could be to require students to work with larger
numbers when creating word problems.

Discuss additional activities you could do to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the
material:
For students who are struggling with the material, they will be encouraged to rely on other members of their
group (three on day 1 and their partner for days 2-5) when they need additional help. If students are having
difficulty finding objects to take photos of, myself or other aids could join the group as they walk around. We
will also be there for support when creating presentations in the library.

Extension
https://www.mathsisfun.com/quadrilaterals.html

This website links to a page that includes further review of the quadrilaterals that our lesson focuses on as well
as an interactive feature that allows students to create their own shapes by moving each point. Students could
be challenged to create each shape and take pictures of their work.

Homework Options and Home Connections

To further their learning at home, students would be encouraged to find examples of each shape in their own
home or neighborhood. They could take pictures of them using their own tablet/phone or their parent’s device.
Photos could be emailed to me and shown in class at some point.

Interdisciplinary Connections

 Language Arts:
o When creating word problems, students are essentially creating short stories with an added math
component. Work with making sure you are writing complete sentences with enough detail can be
reviewed during this activity.
 Art
o When taking their photos and finding ways to present them, students are able to show their
creativity in ways that don’t happen that often in the classroom. Though it may not be a physical
craft, students are still showing artwork that they created.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers Math shape blocks, materials for station games, access to smilebox, photostory,
powerpoint.

For students Digital camera (one for each partner group), voice recorder (one for each partner
group), computer, construction paper.

Key Vocabulary

Quadrilateral, square, rectangle, rhombus, perimeter, area.

Additional Notes

 When creating this lesson, I envisioned that perimeter and area were a previously taught unit and that
aspect of this lesson was not a brand-new concept for students.

 Lesson resources:
o http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/view_lesson_plans?id=3042
o https://educators.brainpop.com/lesson-plan/quadrilaterals-lesson-plan-shape-stations/
o https://betterlesson.com/lesson/604593/differences-with-shapes