Story: In this vitamin students are challenged to find shapes within shapes. They begin by building squares or triangles on their geoboards using rubber bands to define the perimeter of their shape. Once their initial shape is identified they begin looking for the same shape inside the original shape. In the video you see some students exploring the tricky task of figuring out how to accurately transfer their design on to grid paper. This is difficult, as students have to match the lines and pegs on their geoboards with the pegs (dots) on their paper. Other students begin to see the depth of shapes that can exist within a shape and work to count, illustrate and double-check their thinking.

Suggested manipulatives: Geoboards are ideal if you have them. The same activity can be done with geometric dot paper and colored pens/pencils.

Prep time: Adapting the vitamin wording to fit your specific story, putting manipulatives out in the room and/or creating geometric dot paper will take about 15-20 minutes. Set up is always more fun and shorter on time if you do this activity with a colleague.

Classroom time: Asking children to “do their best work” for each Math Vitamin assumes that some children will need a longer time than others. Ideally you want to offer a block of time for Math Vitamin projects and have another task available (writing, free exploration etc.) for those students who finish work prior to their peers. For this project allow 20-45 minutes for students to work through all the steps.

How to individualize/stretch: Initially start with using geometric vocabulary and let students begin the create shapes on the boards. Ask them to see if they can see smaller shapes within their initial shape. Next steps involve helping them learn to transfer their design onto grid paper. This is tricky, as they have to count the pegs to figure out where each line starts and stops. As their skills progress, have the students begin with a large shape.