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About the Mathematics in This Unit

Dear Family,

We are beginning a new unit in mathematics called Blocks and Buildings. This second geometry unit in Grade 1 focuses on 3-D shapes. Students describe, compare, build with, and represent Geoblocks and geometric solids—sets of related three-dimensional wooden blocks that include cubes, rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, spheres, cones, cylinders, and pyramids. They also explore the relationship between 3-D shapes and 2-D shapes as they search for the 3-D block shown in a 2-D picture, and attempt to draw a Geoblock building, or build one, given a 2-D drawing.

Throughout this unit, students will work toward these goals:

Benchmarks/Goals	Examples
Use geometric language to describe and identify defining attributes of familiar 3-D shapes.	It has 6 corners or points. It has 5 faces. Two of the faces are triangles. The other faces are rectangles.
Compose 3-D shapes.	2 cubes make a rectangular prism.

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