Looking Back: Shapes, Solids, and Fair Shares

Think about where you have seen this before. Geometry is how people describe and build the physical world, from quilts to bridges. This is worth learning because shapes and fair shares are the beginning of geometry and fractions both. Watch for it today, and when you spot it, tell someone what you noticed and how you knew. Ask yourself where else the same idea might be hiding, then go and look.

Take a deep breath and look at this. You name flat shapes by their sides and corners and know that color, size, and direction do not change what a shape is. You name solid shapes and their faces, edges, and corners. You combine shapes and take them apart.

You split wholes into halves and fourths, and you know that more parts means smaller pieces. Build one shape, name it, and split it into fair shares.

Try describing a shape to someone without saying its name and see if they can guess it. Four equal sides, four square corners. If they guess square, your description was precise enough. When you get it right, say thank You to God, who gave you that thinking mind.