How do you build spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving skills while doing something that is fun? With tangrams! In honor of Chinese New Year, this lesson introduces your students to the Chinese puzzle of tangrams.

Students will love composing and decomposing two-dimensional shapes using tangram puzzle pieces. Use this plan alone or to frontload key vocabulary and concepts taught in the lesson plan Know Your Shapes.

2D shapes are all around us! In this lesson students will explore the properties of four different shapes—triangles, circles, rectangles, and squares! They will learn that they can find these shapes anywhere in the world around us.

Look all around! We can find 2D shapes inside 3D shapes wherever we go! In this lesson, students will sort shapes and recognize the 2D components of common 3D shapes.

This is a fun lesson for your students to learn shapes while playing an engaging matching game. Your students will also get to practice their fine motor skills in this lesson.

Detective time! In this lesson, your students will become shape detectives and go on a shape hunt to find the missing shapes on a grid.

Students will love composing shapes using tangrams in this hands-on lesson! Use this plan alone or as a support lesson plan for the Tangrams: An Ancient Chinese Puzzle lesson plan.