Montessori Mom

Lesson of the Day 15

Published on: July 11, 2011

b,b,b the box sound "B" makes a box sound!

Shapes Are Everywhere

Montessori used geometric shapes to teach the basics of math, reading and writing.

These beautiful shapes are also found in architecture and art.

More Lesson Ideas

After studying circles , rectangles , pie wedges and triangles in the previous lessons

Use these fun shapes to study architecture and art.

Architectural Shapes

Some architectural shapes are easily seen in buildings, shopping malls, furniture, light fixtures, fireplaces, windows, columns, and bridges. These shapes can be 3 dimensional, such as a cube, rectangular prism, oval, sphere and some are two dimensional polygons, squares, triangles, circles and rectangles.

Sculptures and  paintings display various shapes, such as circles, triangles, rectangles and squares.

Nature, our faces, fingers and toes are sometimes found in architectural shapes and designs. Fingers resemble columns, eyebrows look like curved windows, lips are shaped like a couch, some rock structures are nature's sky scrappers.

You can make your own  geometric shapes using the printouts above.

Making Architectural  Shapes

Print out the highlighted shapes above, cut out the circles, rectangles and triangles in their original forms. You can add more dimension by cutting the shapes in halves or quarters.

Use a straight edge or ruler, a compass and protractor to make your own unique shapes.  Trace old cds to make different shapes such as a circle, arch, half circle, and spiral type shapes.  Use an old CD case to trace squares. The squares can be cut into rectangles, triangles and other interesting shapes. Use sauce pan lids for younger children to trace.

Trace your child's hands, arms, legs, feet and toes to make interesting designs.

Box Art

Collect different sizes and  shapes of boxes. They can be cylinder or square boxes. Help glue or tape together the boxes into your child's favorite object. It can be a house, building, bridge, or an abstract sculpture. Make bricks from cartons, columns from cylinders, a turret roof from a circle cutout.

For younger children use a large box they can sit or walk into, cut out windows and a door for them. Let them decorate the house or cabin with the geometric shapes.

Construction Containers

shoe boxes

oatmeal cylinder boxes

cereal boxes

pasta boxes

salt boxes or cylinders

clean milk cartons (tape down the spout into a rectangular shape)

yogurt, margarine or cheese tubs

Speech Time

Let your child display their work and talk about it.

Resources

Architectural Shapes

Cardboard Box Art

City of Boxes

Montessori Sensorial Boxes

Touchy Feely Box

Box Shapes Game

Archive

Rectangle Lesson

Circle Lesson

Triangle Lesson

Fraction Lesson

This lesson is a family friendly activity!

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