Grade 4 - Shape and Space (3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes)

The sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will describe, classify, construct, and relate three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional shapes, using mathematical vocabulary to describe their properties.

It is expected that students will:

design and construct nets for pyramids and prisms
relate nets to three-dimensional objects
compare and contrast pyramids and prisms to describe a relationship
identify and sort specific quadrilaterals, such as squares, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids
classify angles in a variety of orientations according to whether they are a right angle, less than a right angle, or greater than a right angle
recognize, draw, and name the following: point, line, parallel lines, and intersecting lines

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Shape and Space (3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

When geometric ideas are derived from students' physical world, their study of geometry becomes both practical and enjoyable. By connecting geometric ideas with students' developing spatial sense and with other areas of mathematics, you allow students to broaden their understanding of shape and space, and the world around them. At the Grade 4 level, the use of manipulatives continues to be important for developing geometric ideas. In addition, the use of technology, such as computers, can further enhance students' experiences.

Have students design and construct three-dimensional pyramids and prisms using available materials (e.g., toothpicks, straws, pipe cleaners).
Have students use geoboards or other grid materials and work individually or in groups to explore, design, and record all possible quadrilaterals.
Have students construct a right-angle tester by folding paper twice so that the folded edges line up. Then have them record and classify all angles in the classroom as less than, more than, or equal to a right angle.
Have students find and identify examples of points, lines, parallel lines, and intersecting segments using photographs from magazines.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Students use more sophisticated vocabulary as they actively investigate various complex two- and three-dimensional shapes. They classify angles using technical language and increasingly associate them with the designs they see around them. Your ongoing observations of how students work on their own and in groups, using manipulatives, will provide more accurate evidence of their progress than will your observation of a single event or a single paper-and-pencil test. Use probing questions related to "how" and "why" to discover the level of students' understanding.

Observe

To what extent can students use manipulatives to demonstrate their understanding of concepts?
To what extent can students use the language of geometry accurately in oral or written forms?
To what extent do students persevere in finding many diverse examples of quadrilaterals?

Question

Encourage students to respond to logical and speculative questions such as:
- Why do you think that walls are built at right angles to the ground? What would the world be like if all the right angles in objects suddenly disappeared?
What do their answers reveal about their ability to use mathematical vocabulary to describe properties?

Reflect

Which students have sufficient understanding of the language to identify, sort, and classify objects and shapes?
Which students can use mathematical vocabulary to describe properties accurately?
What experiences would benefit those who are not meeting these goals?

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

Print Materials

Collectors' Clubhouse
Creative Maths Age 7-9
Interactions 4-6
Kids 'n' Calculators: How to Use the Calculator as a Teaching Tool
The Maharajas' Tasks
Mathematics From Many Cultures
Measure It! Grades 4-6
Polyhedraville
The Problem Solver 4: Activities for Learning Problem-Solving Strategies
Quest 2000: Exploring Mathematics Grade 4
Trading Post Module Notes

Video

Mathematics: What Are You Teaching My Child?

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Maintained by:Mathematics Coordinator

Revised: October 20, 1997

BC Ministry of Education