• “¿Cómo les ayudaron los puntos a describir las figuras de esta imagen?” // “How did the dots help you describe the shapes in this picture?” (The dots helped me count the corners. I could see the lines that connected the dots.)
• “¿Cómo creen que los puntos les pueden ayudar a dibujar sus propias figuras?” // “How do you think the dots would help you draw your own shapes?” (They might keep the lines straight. They might help me plan where to start my shape. I can just connect the dots to make a shape.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to draw shapes. Students pick a shape card, draw it on a dot grid, and describe the shape. While students are working, record on a chart the words and phrases they use to describe their shapes. During the Activity Synthesis, students look at the language used to describe shapes. They add or replace language and look for similarities in the listed words and phrases. When students begin to match the names of shapes to words and phrases that describe their defining attributes, they begin to distinguish between the defining and nondefining attributes of a shape (MP6).

This activity uses MLR2 Collect and Display. Advances: conversing, reading, writing.

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn Stage 1 of the How Are They the Same? center. Students lay six shape cards face up. One student chooses two cards that have shapes with a common attribute. They show the cards to the group, without saying the common attribute. All students draw shapes that are different from, but share an attribute with, the two shapes. Then students take turns sharing the shapes they have drawn and the common attribute. Students get a point if they draw a shape that no other student has drawn. Students may find multiple common attributes for the same two shapes. This can lead to an interesting discussion.

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice counting, adding, and subtracting within 10 or 20. Students choose from previously introduced stages of these centers:

• Capture Squares
• Compare
• Counting Collections