using tanagrams in centers

[IDteacher]

I was recently gifted about 25 sets of plastic tanagrams from a retired teacher I was thinking about using them in a learning center, and I was wondering if any of you wonderful teachers had any ideas of what that might look like, or if you had any websites to direct me to.

Thanks!

 

[K/1 Teacher]

tanagrams

You can purchase designs for children to make with the tanagrams. They're on cardboard in color and tney match up the tiles to cover up the design. Some show the boarders of each shape, others they need to figure out how to fill it.

 

[Tiffany]

Math their way

This came from a Math Their Way conference that I went to.

Take several plastic lids from margarine containers. Trace each shape on the lid, then cut it out (to make a stencil of the shapes).

Then have the students make a simple design using the blocks. Then using the stencil, the student must recreate their design. (This is really hard for them, surprisingly).

We also have an Ellison machine in our library that has the same size shapes as the tanagrams. My students first make the design using the tanagrams, then recreate using the paper cutouts from the library.

I also have known teachers to have 4th grade students come down and help first graders make a design together.