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Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Pattern blocks v0.1.0

Add a block, then drag it
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The six pattern block shapes on a big stage: hexagon, trapezoid, triangle, square and the two rhombuses. Drag them, tap to turn them, and watch their corners snap together. When the blocks are hexagon, trapezoid, triangle and blue rhombus, it tells you how much of a hexagon they fill.

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How to use it

  1. Press a shape to add it, then drag it onto the stage. Corners snap to the corners of other blocks.
  2. Tap a block to turn it 30 degrees, or use Turn left and Turn right. Copy it to make more of the same.
  3. Make a design, a pattern or a shape made of other shapes, and read the fraction of a hexagon it fills.
  4. Press Print to print the stage, or F for the projector.

Ideas for class

  • Cover the yellow hexagon with two trapezoids, three blue rhombuses or six triangles, and say what fraction each piece is.
  • Ask students to make a shape that has no gaps and no overlaps, then find a different way to make it.
  • Make a growing pattern (1 hexagon, 2 hexagons, 3) and ask what comes next.
  • Ask for a design with line symmetry, then check it by drawing a line down the middle on the printout.
  • Make a larger triangle out of smaller ones and count how many it takes.
  • Print the design, and have students color it or write the fraction underneath.

Related

Questions

What are pattern blocks?

A set of six flat shapes whose sides are all the same length (except the trapezoid's long side, which is twice as long), so they fit edge to edge. Children use them for patterns, shapes, symmetry and fractions.

How do the fractions work?

If the yellow hexagon is one whole, a red trapezoid is one half, a blue rhombus is one third and a green triangle is one sixth. The tool counts the pieces for you when you use those four shapes.

Can students use it on a tablet?

Yes. Drag with a finger. The blocks are large enough for a smart board.

Is my design saved?

No. Print the stage to keep it. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.

Nothing you do here is sent to us. Names, lists and settings stay in this browser. No sign-in, no ads. What each tool stores