The purpose of this activity is for students to compose the same shape in different ways. Students create a butterfly by composing hexagons, using different pattern blocks. Students are encouraged to explain how they composed their hexagons, using the geometric language they’ve learned in previous lessons (MP6). For example, “I used 1 trapezoid and 3 triangles to make a hexagon.” Throughout the activity, listen for the ways students describe how they can compose a shape from, or decompose a shape into, smaller shapes.

Monitor for and select students, with the following approaches, to share in the Activity Synthesis:

• Compose a hexagon, using equal-size shapes: 2 trapezoids, 6 triangles, or 3 blue rhombuses.
• Compose hexagons, using different shapes.

The approaches are sequenced from hexagons composed of equal-size shapes to those composed of different shapes to help students notice and describe shapes that are composed of equal-size pieces and those that are not. Aim to elicit both key mathematical ideas and a variety of student voices, especially students who haven’t shared recently.

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Before students begin composing hexagons, remind them to use the name of each shape rather than the color of the pattern block. Invite students to chorally repeat the shape of each block.
Advances: Speaking Representation: Develop Language and Symbols. Provide students with access to the definitions of the shapes they will use, so they can have conversations using the correct vocabulary terms.
Supports accessibility for: Language, Memory

• Invite previously selected students to share in the given order.
• If possible, display student hexagons, or draw hexagons, as they share. Display the hexagons in two groups: one group composed of equal-size pieces, and the other group composed of different pieces.

• Connect students’ approaches by asking:
  • “What is the same about the shapes we made?” (All are hexagons. When you put the pieces together, the outside has 6 sides and 6 corners. They are made up of more than 1 shape.)
  • “What is different about the hexagons we made?” (They use different pieces. Some hexagons use only the same shape. Some hexagons use different shapes.)
• Connect students’ approaches to the learning goal by asking:
  • “What do you notice about these two groups of hexagons?” (In the first group, each hexagon is made up of the same shape. 6 triangles or 2 trapezoids or 3 rhombuses. Each hexagon in the second group is made up of different shapes that have different sizes.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to compose shapes with two, three, or four equal-size shapes. The work of this activity lays the foundation for partitioning shapes into halves, thirds, or fourths.

Students make three different shapes, using two, three, or four pattern blocks of the same shape. They record their compositions on either the triangle or square dot paper. The structure of the dots helps students make sure that the parts of their shapes are equal.

• Display selected students’ shapes.
• “Describe how these shapes are composed.” (They used 2 trapezoids to compose a hexagon. They used 4 small squares to compose a larger square.)