options: Number & Operations in Base Ten: students learn to work with the base-ten system and build place value understanding.

Number & Operations - Fractions: students learn to understand fractions as numbers and may work with them using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Modeling: students learn to choose and use appropriate mathematics and statistics to analyze real-world empirical situations, improve decisions, and report on their conclusions and the reasoning behind them.

Counting & Cardinality: students learn to know number names and the count sequence, count to tell the number of objects, and compare numbers.

Measurement & Data: students learn to work with data and measure attributes such as time, money, length, area, and volume. They may learn to compare measurements to operations and convert between different units of measure.

Geometry: students learn to classify geometric figures by their properties, and understand and compare the relationships between them. Students develop and use formulas to compute lengths, areas, and volumes, and they use transformations to generate new shapes and compare existing ones. Geometry can be studied with and without coordinates.

Number Systems and Quantity: students learn to understand the complex number system and reason quantitatively.

Ratios & Proportional Relationships: students learn to recognize, describe, represent, and reason with ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and percent.

Operations & Algebra: students learn to solve problems using algebraic thinking and operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They may learn to identify and explain arithmetic patterns, evaluate or manipulate numerical expressions, and reason with equations and inequalities.

Statistics & Probability: students learn to analyze and produce data distributions, and build understanding of univariate and bivariate data. They learn to interpret data, make statistical inferences, justify conclusions, understand rules of probability, and use probability to make decisions.

Functions: students learn to define, use, and evaluate functions to model relationships between quantities.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this activity is to deepen students’ understanding that a shape can belong to multiple categories because of its attributes. Students analyze shapes and determine all the ways that each one could be named. The names may refer to a broad category such as triangle or quadrilateral, or a narrower subcategory such as rhombus or rectangle. As they name the different categories students need to be precise both about the meaning of the categories and verifying the properties of the different shapes (MP6).
MLR8 Discussion Supports.
Synthesis: For each observation that is shared, invite students to turn to a partner and restate what they heard using precise mathematical language.
Advances: Listening, Speaking
Engagement: Provide Access by Recruiting Interest.
Leverage choice around perceived challenge. Invite students to select at least 4 of the 6 problems.
Supports accessibility for: Organization, Attention, Social-Emotional Skills
Launch
Groups of 2
“Look at the quadrilateral in the first problem. Work independently to circle all the names that you could use to describe the quadrilateral. Be prepared to share your reasoning.”
1 minute: independent work time
“Discuss your responses and reasoning with your partner.”
2 minutes: partner discussion
Share responses.
Activity
“Complete the rest of the problems independently. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.”
3–5 minutes: independent work time
“Now, discuss your answers with your partner. Be sure to explain your reasoning for each way you described the shape. Also, be sure to ask your partner if you have any questions about their reasoning.”
5–7 minutes: partner discussion
Monitor for students who notice that some shapes can be described using multiple terms.
Student Facing
Select
all
the ways you could describe each shape. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
1
[IMG]
triangle
quadrilateral
square
rhombus
rectangle
2
[IMG]
triangle
quadrilateral
hexagon
rhombus
rectangle
square
3
[IMG]
triangle
quadrilateral
pentagon
rhombus
rectangle
square
4
[IMG]
triangle
quadrilateral
hexagon
rhombus
rectangle
square
5
[IMG]
hexagon
quadrilateral
triangle
square
rectangle
rhombus
6
[IMG]
hexagon
quadrilateral
triangle
rhombus
rectangle
square
Student Response
Teachers with a valid work email address can
click here to register or sign in
for free access to Student Response.
Advancing Student Thinking
If students use only one name for a shape that can be named in multiple ways, consider asking:
“How did you describe the shape?”
“Are there any other names that could be used to describe the shape?”
Activity Synthesis
Select 1–2 students to share the terms they selected for each of the last four quadrilaterals and their reasoning.
Consider asking:
“Who can restate _____’s reasoning in a different way?”
“Does anyone want to add on to _____’s reasoning?”
“Do you agree or disagree? Why?”
“The last shape can be described with 4 of the choices. How is it possible that it can be described in so many ways?” (It is a quadrilateral because it has 4 sides. It is a rhombus because it’s a quadrilateral with 4 sides that are the same length. It is a rectangle because it has 4 right angles and 2 pairs of sides that are the same length. It is a square because it has 4 sides that are the same length and 4 right angles. The last three are more specific descriptions of a quadrilateral.)


correct_option_index: 5