Hands-On Math Pentominoes

Hands-On Math: Pentominoes creates a virtual math playground where students explore, investigate and discover mathematical concepts. Students use the classic 7-piece set of tangram pieces on an interactive playground to discover and explore, visual problem solving, geometry, fractions, angles, shapes, and much more.

Using Hands-On Math: Pentominoes students can develop the following important mathematical concepts:

• Shapes and Properties
• Logical Patterns and Sequences
• Meaning of Fractions
• Classifying Figures and Measurement
• Creativity and Design

Features:

• Open-ended Pentominoes Playground.
• Supports Discovery and Directed Teaching Strategies.
• Problem Solving Activities which Can Be Solved Using
Virtual Manipulatives.
• Helps to Build an Intuitive Understanding of Geometry.
• On/Off Options and Controls for Various Features.

Pentominoes Playground

There are 12 permutations for geometric figures made up of 5 squares. The pieces collectively are known as pentominoes. In this app the pieces are provided for use on the Hands-On Math Playground. The Playground offers a snap-to grid function and pieces can be placed, moved, arranged, rotated and grouped in order to represent mathematical ideas.

Topics:

• The Properties of Geometric Shapes
• Visual Problem Solving
• Fractions (Shading Parts of a Whole)
• Congruence and Similarity
• Symmetry
• Rotations and Translation

Activities

Students use a slider or buttons to select an activity. Here is a sample activity where the object is to move the correct pentomino pieces into the space in order to completely cover the congruent shapes.