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How Would You Describe These

Figures?

Grade 4: Unit 7: Lesson 1

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Lesson Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is to motivate the need for geometric language for describing and

drawing images and to introduce points, lines, and segments.

Lesson Narrative

In earlier grades, students examined, described, compared, and contrasted attributes of two-

dimensional figures. They may have used geometric terms such as point, line, and segment

intuitively and informally.

This lesson serves two goals. The first is to elicit the language students have for talking about

geometric figures, motivating a need to develop more precision in using geometric terminology

(MP6). The second is to enable students to see that a line segment is a part of a line, so it has a start

point and an endpoint. The cool-down for this lesson is designed to determine the types of words

students use to describe figures. Students may choose to use informal or formal language.

In the next lesson, students will encounter the formal definitions of these geometric terms, but for

now, the aim is simply to engage them in noticing and drawing these geometric figures. It is not

necessary to expect students to distinguish between line segments and lines in this lesson.

Learning Goals

Draw points, lines, and line segments, and identify them in geometric figures.

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Let’s draw and describe geometric figures.

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Notice and Wonder: String Art

Warm-Up

• Notice and Wonder

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What do you notice? What do you wonder?

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Let’s Talk About It!

Which words or terms came up multiple times in the observations you made and in the questions you had?

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Do You See What I See?

Activity 1

MLR2 Collect and Display

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Here are the two sets of images:

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Work with a partner in this activity. Sit back to back or use a divider to block each other’s view.

Partner A:

• Your teacher will give you a card. Don’t show it to your partner.

• Describe the image on the card—as clearly and precisely as possible—so that your partner can draw it on a blank card.

Partner B:

• Your teacher will give you a blank card.

• Your partner will describe an image. Listen carefully to the descriptions. On your card, create a drawing as described.

1. When done, compare the given image and the drawn image. Discuss:

◦ Which parts were accurate? Which were off?

◦ How could the descriptions be improved so the drawing could be more accurate?

◦ Which words or descriptions are useful?

2. Try again with a second card from your teacher. When done, compare and discuss the images

again.

3. Switch roles and repeat the exercise. Your teacher will give you 2 new cards (1 for each round).

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Let’s Talk About It!

Are there any other words or phrases that are important to include on our display?

How did you describe what you saw?

What words or descriptions were more helpful when describing the figures and which were less helpful?

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Lines and Line Segments

Activity 2

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What do you notice? What do you wonder?

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Draw 5 lines, each one connecting at least 2 dots and extending as far as possible.

Did your lines make some familiar shapes or figures—perhaps a triangle, quadrilateral, a letter, or a number?

◦ Identify at least one familiar shape or figure in your drawing. Trace the shape with a heavier mark or use a color pencil to make it obvious.

c. Share your drawing with your group members. Discuss:

◦ How are the drawings alike? What do all the shapes have in common?

◦ How are the drawings different?

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Let’s Talk About It!

How are your drawings alike?

How are your drawings different?

How many points do you see marked on this line or line segment? Where are they?

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Lesson Synthesis

Let’s look at image 2 of set 1 from the first activity.

Draw a quick sketch of this image to annotate during discussion.

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Lesson Synthesis

Let’s imagine that the lines that reach the edge of the card actually go on if the card was larger.

Annotate sketch to demonstrate extended lines.

“Today we described some drawings and created some drawings based on descriptions. We noticed

how points, lines, and segments are present in the drawings, and that those terms were handy for

describing what we were seeing.”

“Where do you see points in this drawing?”

(Students are likely to identify vertices of the

triangle and also places where lines intersect.)

As students identify points, add each to the

sketch for reference.

“Which points were most helpful when

describing the drawing to a friend?” (the points

where the lines cross one another, or the points

where the lines cross the edges of the card)

“Where are the line segments in this image?” (any part of a line with a starting point and an ending

point)

“How many segments do you see in this drawing?” (Students are likely to say 8, but there are more,

including pieces that go from one edge of the card to another edge.)

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Lines and More

Cool-Down

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Here is a drawing on a card:

Write a description of the drawing that could be used by a classmate to make a copy.

Cool-Down: Lines and More

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Image Citations

https://giphy.com/gifs/skiphursh-art-abstract-shapes-kog2J5GfDdPoY

https://media.giphy.com/media/iF0nyp1ZW5RzE0kfBC/giphy.gif

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