Shape Sorter CCSS.Math.Content.6.SP.B.5.b

As students learn to classify shapes based on characteristics such as the length of the sides or the size of the angle, Venn Diagrams become effective tools. Illuminations, by NCTM, offers an easy to use online application for visually sorting polygons.  The app allows the user to pick one or two characteristics to sort polygons by, ranging from angle measures to side lengths and parallelism to symmetry.

After selecting one or two rules on the application, students then have the opportunity to shape pre-determined shapes into the correct category. The app has a “check your work” function (the check mark in the middle of the screen, see figure) that allows students to double check a shape if they are unsure of the answer. This ensures students have the correct understanding of vocabulary terms, such as what parallel lines or right angles are, as well as refining their understanding of complex statements such as “one or more” and “at least one”.

The application also offers a unique perspective for the student. Too often students learn the basic form for regular polygons, and rarely see variations. This resource has a number of polygons in irregular form that will help the students identify the variations. In addition, having a visual display of the different sets allows the student to contrast and compare the different shapes that apply to certain rules. This becomes an excellent opportunity for the student to identify patterns or additional properties that may be present among the shape. For example, in the shared image above a possible observation a student could reach may be “a 3-sided polygon will never have parallel sides”, or “the number of sides a polygon has is the same as the number of angles.”

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