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Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 1 Math Centers

5.0 (268 reviews)

Perfect for math centers, fast-finishers, and cooperative learning!Pattern blocks are not just for primary students! This resource will provide your leaners with engaging puzzle tasks that require critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students must analyze four clues in order to correctly

$7.00
View preview
Grade
Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7
Subject
Math
Pages
57
Answer key
Included
Teaching duration
4 Weeks
Digital download
PDF

Description

Perfect for math centers, fast-finishers, and cooperative learning!

Pattern blocks are not just for primary students! This resource will provide your leaners with engaging puzzle tasks that require critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students must analyze four clues in order to correctly arrange six different Pattern Blocks in a specific order. These tasks are designed to activate and expand students’ logical reasoning skills while reinforcing various geometry concepts. The 36 non-routine activities are available in two different formats: “Task Cards”- for independent work, as well as “Group Clues”- for students to work in groups of four.

What’s Included:

•Organizational and instructional tips

•“Five-Frames” for students to place Pattern Block pieces on

•36 “Task Cards”: Perfect for independent work

•36 “Group Clues”: Allows students to work in groups of four

•Student answer sheets for recording solutions

•Answer Key

•Printable Pattern Block Shapes (in color and black-and-white)

Skills Covered:

•Geometry concepts and vocabulary: acute, obtuse, right, congruency, polygons, etc.

•Spatial reasoning

•Visual awareness

•Cooperative learning and communication

•Problem solving and critical thinking

Save money and purchase this as part of theHands-on Math: Build Your Own Bundle!

Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 2

It Takes Two to Tangram

I Heart Tangrams

Tangram Fraction Task Cards

Pattern Block Fraction Task Cards

Brain Power Math: Non-Routine Problem Solving

Time to Tile: Equivalent Fractions

Time to Tile: Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions

Time to Tile: Adding and Subtracting

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Please read: This is a nonrefundable digital download. Please read the description carefully and examine the preview file before purchasing.

© Copyright 2018 M. Tallman. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This is intended to be used by one teacher unless additional licenses have been purchased. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so makes it possible for an Internet search to make the document available on the Internet, free of charge, and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Reviews

4.9
83,180 reviews

Showing 1–5 of 27 reviews

5th Grade Daily MATH and GRAMMAR Spiral Review Bundle Test Prep
Abigail S.

My daughter did not enjoy this at all. We normally always start out in the morning with some worksheets. In this case there were many things that were thrown at her that had little to no explanation and some were completely new to her. I ended up deleting the file since we never use it now. I really thought this would be a good course for us.

Teacher Thrive

<p>Hello, Abigail. Did you see the detailed teaching notes and grammar student handbook included in the resource? Hopefully those tools help explain the concepts.</p>

3rd Grade Daily Math Spiral Review [DIGITAL]
Laura K.

I was excited about this resource. But NOTHING about it has been easy. I don't believe the positive reviews, unless they are not using them daily, or they did not mind adjusting the settings on 144 forms because the settings are ridiculous.

1) "We don't use any student identifiers..." That is the DUMBEST thing I have heard of. Did I miss something and teachers have stopped asking their students to write their names on their papers because we don't need to identify whose work is whose anymore?? As of now, when 20 kids finish a form, you have NO idea who's response is whose. No joke. What the actual heck? So plan on opening 144 forms and setting EVERY ONE to collect email addresses (or whatever you prefer, but that's the easiest for my students).

2) To create the forms, you have to click on an individual link, click make a copy, and then you have the word "copy of" in front of every form. There are lots of better ways the seller could have gone about this with a little research.

3) When I make a form, I try to get the total to be out of 100 points, so that every score is consistent and means something to my students (<70, needs to ask for help from me, 100=all correct, etc.). Every purchased form I've bought has been out of 100 points. These forms are all out of different numbers-8, 16, 22, etc. There is no consistency throughout the week, no way for students to compare scores, and their scores don't means ANYTHING to them or me if I don't have a calculator handy. Just DO BETTER.

4) The other settings are GARBAGE too. Students cannot see the questions that they missed. What kind of teacher doesn't want students to see what they got wrong? I normally DON'T want my students to see correct answers, because I want them to be able to go back and try to find their errors and correct them themselves, BUT on a DAILY SPIRAL, when time is short and they may/may not have been introduced to the topic, I find that student learn a LOT form seeing the correct answer. This setting was also unchecked.

5) There is no logical order to the review questions. There are not models to help compare fractions mid year, just 2 fractions and students are asked to compare. Maybe some schools in Texas teach things in different orders, but we don't teach fractions that early, but they sure as heck could be reviewing place value or multi-step addition/subtraction problems.

If I were selling a product and knew there were 144 individual forms, I would have done the work myself, and given options: This link will give you forms with these settings; This link= these settings...etc. To say that teachers can "easily" change the settings is ridiculous. It is TEDIOUS, easy to miss an important setting like collect EMAILS, and THAT'S WHY I PAID YOU. I should have realized there were teachers out there that don't think about the "little things" and read the fine print or comments before buying.

I WOULD NOT BUY AGAIN for the hassle of making these work.

Questions & Answers (9)

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Jasper S.

Just downloaded again and it's the same version I have that contradicts itself.

Teacher Thrive

Very strange. The version I just check on TpT has the trapezoid on the far left in the answer key. Are you downloading from TpT? UPDATE: I know see the issue. Uploading an updated version right now!

Jasper S.

Card 15 has something amiss. Clue 2 says the trapezoid is not second from the right but the answer clearly shows it in the second from the right spot. Am I missing something?

Teacher Thrive

Hi Jasper! Thanks for contacting me. I think you may have an older version. Make sure you have downloaded the latest version on TpT. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Jasper S.

I could use a bit of clarification. Does each card have one and only one arrangement that satisfies the clues or is the goal just to find the piece not used and some answers could have more than one way of arranging the shapes on the five-frame?

We've been enjoying this set quite a bit. Thanks for the great resource!

Teacher Thrive

Hello!

Each card should have one arrangement. However, there might be instances where more than one answer is possible. As long as all clues are satisfied, an answer is considered correct.

Kylie T.

So I know before I buy. Are the 36 "task cards" and the 36 "group clues" the same tasks (just organised differently) or is the buyer receiving 72 different tasks? (because I'm from Australia - it costs About $10 so it's quite expensive)

Teacher Thrive

Thank you for asking! There are 36 unique tasks, which are formatted in two different ways. The task cards are for independent work, and the clues are for small groups of 4-5 students to solve cooperatively.

sharon S.

What about card 32? Clue 4 states a figure with only 2 congruent side but even the trapezoid has 3 congruent sides.

Teacher Thrive

All fixed! Thank you!!

sharon S.

I believe card 22 is unsolveable due to question 4 and card 12 is also unsolveable because of clue 3. Could you please check and verify in case I am mistaken Edit

Teacher Thrive

Thank you! Both cards have been revised:-)

Stacey M.

STILL enjoying this activity SO MUCH!!! It will from now until the end of time be my very favorite pre-quadrilateral unit and end of school activity! A student (and we all have at least one of these students) pointed out that the word "angles" is spelled "angels" on card 9, attribute 2, and that "hexagon" is spelled "hexagram" on card 15, attribute 3. Easy for me to fix with a Sharpie, but if you have a good reason to revise this activity (other than spelling)...

Teacher Thrive

I will fix right away!!! Thank you for letting me know!

Beth Sommers

Thanks for the wonderful ideas to use with pattern blocks! For the group problem solving, could you please explain how to correctly cut apart the clues? It's not clear to me which clues go together. Thanks!! Beth :)

Teacher Thrive

Hello! The group clues start on page 26. There are 4 clues per task and each task is numbered. There are dotted lines to help guide the cutting. Also each group should also have a set of instructions; these are page 25. Let me know if that helps.

Katelyn Loe

Do you provide a template of pattern blocks?

Teacher Thrive

Yes! I included colored printables and blacklines in case you want to print on colored paper.

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Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 1 Math Centers

Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 1 Math Centers

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