How to play Shape Puzzle
Have you ever played Tetris? Another name for some of the shapes in this game is pentominos. Believe it or not, pentomino tiles can teach students a lot about math.
The word “pentomino” comes from the Greek word for five and the word domino. Each shape contains five squares.
How can you use our online pentomino tool? Simply drag and drop the shapes onto the board. Use the “rotate” and “flip” buttons to manipulate the shapes. Use the pencil and eraser tools to write about your work. The trash can button erases the board.
You can use pentominoes to explore many math concepts. For example:
Challenge students to create a rectangle covering a certain area (for example, 15 squares) using just 3 pentominoes. Ask students how many different ways they can achieve this goal.
Challenge students to create an enclosure using all of the pentominoes. How big of an area can they enclose?
Work with symmetry. Ask students to create a shape using 3 or more pentominoes. Then, ask them to create a symmetrical shape using the “flip” and “rotate” buttons.
Challenge students to create a rectangle covering a certain area (for example, 15 squares) using just 3 pentominoes. Ask students how many different ways they can achieve this goal.
Challenge students to create an enclosure using all of the pentominoes. How big of an area can they enclose?
Work with symmetry. Ask students to create a shape using 3 or more pentominoes. Then, ask them to create a symmetrical shape using the “flip” and “rotate” buttons.
Want tips and strategies? Read the full How to Play Shape Puzzle guide.
