The purpose of this activity is to build a tower with solid shapes and count how many solid shapes are in the tower. Students will need to think strategically about which shapes to use and their properties. For stacking shapes, it is important to have flat faces. Students may notice that spheres can not be used to build towers. Pyramids and cones can be used as the top of the tower, but nothing can be stacked on top of them. The purpose of the Activity Synthesis is to discuss the attributes of shapes and why students chose the shapes they did to build their towers.

• Invite students to share their towers.
• “What shapes did ____ use?” (There are some cubes and a pyramid on top.)
• “How many shapes did ___ use?” (4)
• “Did you use a sphere in your tower? Why?” (No. I could not put anything on top of it because it’s round. It rolled away because it’s round.)
• “Did you use a cone in your tower?” (It worked at the very top, but I could not put anything on top of the cone.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to build with a given number of solid shapes. Students practice counting out objects as they count out specific numbers of solid shapes. After they build with the shapes, students determine how many shapes they used altogether, which may require rearranging what they built in order to count accurately. Students describe and compare what they built with their partner.

• Invite previously identified groups of students to share what they built. (I made a house with cubes and pyramids that has 2 towers. My towers are taller than their towers.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose any previously introduced stage from these centers:

• Build Shapes
• Geoblocks
• Counting Collections
• Match Mine
• Shake and Spill

• “Choose one of the centers that you played today. Tell your partner how you would explain the rules of the center to a new student. What tips would you give them?”