Math Mammoth Shapes

Math Mammoth Shapes is a worktext that covers geometry topics for grades 1-2. The emphasis is on exploring shapes in various ways. Students not only identify basic shapes, but they will interact, draw, and play with shapes in various ways. In the first lessons of the book, students explore basic properties of shapes, such as the number of sides, whether the shape has right angles (“square” corners), or whether some of its sides are the same length. Then they also compose and decompose geometric figures. This means, for example, putting two triangles together to make a quadrilateral, or dividing a square into two triangles. Composing and decomposing figures helps children understand part-whole relationships as well as observe and learn the properties of the original and composite shapes. The lessons can seem quite easy, but they are laying a proper foundation for geometric understanding in later years. For example, composing and decomposing shapes helps develop a foundation for understanding area (studied in 3rd grade and onward). Analyzing the properties of shapes, such as the presence or absence of right angles or sides that are the same length, prepares students to study congruence. Students also explore some geometric patterns, make shapes in a tangram-like game, and have surprises with pentagons and hexagons. These topics provide some fun while also helping students to memorize the terminology for basic shapes. The lesson on rectangles and squares introduces the idea of a shape consisting of many little squares. Naturally, this is building towards the concept of area. The answer key is appended to the book itself.