Quadrilaterals

Strand: Shape and Space (3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes)
Outcomes: 6, 7

Step 5: Follow-up on Assessment

Guiding Questions

What conclusions can be made from assessment information?
How effective have instructional approaches been?
What are the next steps in instruction?

A. Addressing Gaps in Learning

If the student has difficulty describing and providing examples of edges and faces of 3-D objects, and sides of 2-D shapes that are parallel, intersecting, perpendicular, vertical or horizontal, have the student construct 3-D objects and 2-D shapes using a variety of manipulatives such as straws and string, polydrons, nets and play dough.

By using straws and string construction, the focus is on the edges of 3-D objects and the sides of 2-D shapes and this provides a visual for students to see the relationships between pairs of edges or pairs of sides.

By using polydrons, nets and play dough for construction, the focus is on the faces of 3‑D objects and this provides a visual for students to see the relationships between pairs of faces. Blackline masters for nets are available on pages 207–223 of the Diagnostic Mathematics Program, Division II, Geometry.

Encourage the students to use real world objects to describe and provide examples of edges and faces of 3-D objects that are parallel, intersecting perpendicular, vertical or horizontal.

If the students are having difficulty identifying and sorting quadrilaterals, have them construct the various quadrilaterals using straw and string or paper strips and brass fasteners. By changing the lengths of the straws or paper strips and manipulating the 2-D shape; e.g., flattening a square somewhat to create a rhombus that is not a square, students see visually the various quadrilaterals and can describe the properties and relationship among the shapes (see pages 137–140 of the Diagnostic Mathematics Program, Division II, Geometry).

Using concept attainment (see Activity 1 in Step 3) provides an opportunity for students to construct understanding of the geometric concepts and also the relationships among the concepts. Since this activity focuses the student's attention on the properties of a given quadrilateral, the student is better able to identify and sort quadrilaterals and justify their answers using sound mathematical reasoning.

B. Reinforcing and Extending Learning

Students who have achieved or exceeded the outcomes will benefit from ongoing opportunities to apply and extend their learning. These activities should support students in developing a deeper understanding of the concept and should not progress to the outcomes in subsequent grades.

Strategies for Reinforcing and Extending Learning Word