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6Th Grade Geometry Task
Lesson Name:

Tangram Polygon Explorations adapted from (Chandler 2012)
Grade

6th
Process Standards

PS.1 PS.7 (IDOE, 2014)
Standards

6.GM.2 (IDOE, 2014)

6.GM.4 (IDOE, 2014)
Materials Needed

One Tangram packet per student

One set of Tangrams per student

Writing/Drawling Device

Math Journal or Scrap Paper
Terms
Tangram
A Chinese puzzle made up by cutting a square of thin material into five triangles, a square, and a
rhomboid which are capable of being recombines in many different figures (Merriam-Webster, n.d)
Objectives

In order to find the area or the sum of interior angles of complex shapes composed of more
than a single polygon we first must understand how some polygons can be used to create
other polygons. Using the many different shapes of that come from the Tangram packet the
students create polygons from two or more other polygons.
Directions

Students will first each get a copy of “Tangram Duo, Triples, and Quads” from the Tangram
packet along with a set of Tangrams working to solve the following questions and sketching
their ideas down in their math journals.

Tangram Duos


Tangram Triples


Create a triangle, square, parallelogram, and a trapezoid using exactly 3
pieces from the Tangram
Tangram Quads


Create a triangle, square, parallelogram, and trapezoid using exactly 2 pieces
from the Tangram
Create a triangle, square, parallelogram, and a trapezoid using exactly 3
pieces from the Tangram
Have students split into groups of three to five. Each group will get a copy of “Tangram
Polygon Challenge” and “Tangram Polygon Super Challenge” from the Tangram packet and
several sets of Tangrams. Students will work together in these groups to solve as many as
they can while recording their ideas in their math journals.
Gear up and Gear Down Questions


For those students who are already familiar with how to find the area of a triangle ( ) and the
area of a square (Area = width * height)

When you compose a shape from the other shapes which equation will you use to
find the Area of the new shape?

When you combine multiple polygons to form a new polygon can you just add the
Area from each polygon to get the Area of the newly formed polygon?
For those students who understand that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180
degrees and a quadrilateral is 360 degrees

Show a picture of different types of triangles with a single angle missing. Solve for
the missing angle

Show a picture of different types of quadrilaterals with a single angle missing. Have
children solve for the missing angle.
References
Chandler, L. (2012). FREE Tangram Polygon Explorations. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from
www.laurachandler.com
Indiana Department of Education. (2014). Indiana academic standards for mathematics. Retrieved
from http://www.doe.in.gov/standards