To assess students' prior knowledge, read aloud Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban or The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns. Focus students’ attention on the use of shapes in the environment.
Ask students to recall the different geometric shapes (triangle,
square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, decagon, trapezoid) and
list the properties they have studied in previous lessons. Ask them to
describe the different types of lines (parallel, perpendicular,
intersecting).
Select a Kandinsky painting from the web, and project a copy
of it so that each student can easily view the painting. Have students
identify different geometric elements of the painting.
To begin the lesson, have students locate one of the paintings
discussed in the previous lesson. Have them work independently to study
and list all of the geometric shapes in one painting. Ask them to work
with a partner to compare their results. Remind them to check for
figures within figures and lines that might serve as sides of figures.
Continue the lesson by having students repeat these steps with
four more paintings. This activity helps develop observation skills
required for science activities.
Have students record and compare the different geometric
concepts used in the set of paintings. This will help students see the
repetition of certain shapes for specific purposes.
Have students write a response to the following prompts:
- Which shapes did Kandinsky use most frequently in his paintings?
- What properties of these shapes make them adaptable for his paintings?
References