Grandfather Tang s Story by Ann Tompert Upper ES / Math Imagination, Transformation, Part and Whole, Polygon, Tangram During the week prior to seminar work with polygons and tangrams: Have students make a list of five items in the room that contain polygon shapes, ex. the top of my desk is a rectangle. Provide each student with a tangram set (see pattern at the end of this plan). Ask students to sort the pieces into piles, record a title or label for each pile, and sketch the shape that was placed in that category. Ask students to create: a) a triangle congruent to the large triangle using three of the pieces b) a triangle using four of the pieces and c) a pentagon using any number of pieces. 1
Preview the text, along with the illustrations and book cover, and predict its genre. Note the unusual features of the text. http://helenkellerramirez.weebly.com/tangrams.html A tangram is an ancient Chinese puzzle that is still used today by both children and adults. When tangrams are used in storytelling, the storyteller arranges the tans to show the shape of a character in the tale. As new characters or story elements are introduced, the puzzle pieces are rearranged to represent the new character or element. A tangram begins with a square, which is then cut into seven standard pieces. Each piece is called a tan. The tangram puzzle is made up of seven pieces: five triangles, a parallelogram, and a square. In creating a picture, all seven tans must be used, and they must touch but not overlap each other. The fox fairies in the story are traditionally part of Chinese folklore, supernatural characters that live for hundreds of years. They are believed to be supernatural and to have transformational powers. Ask students to identify words with which they are unfamiliar. Provide or mine students for meanings. Be sure to include transform, tan, tangram, polygon, congruent Students need a set of tangrams: seven polygons cut from a square (see the template attached) or use sets of plastic tangrams commonly found in school math kits. Read the story to the class. As you come to each character in the story, pause to notice the picture of the animal that is an outline of a shape that can be made with the tans. Have the students rearrange their shapes to represent each of the abstract images of the animals that the fox fairies are turning themselves into. Be sure to ask the students to name familiar shapes as components of the animal outlines--for example, the tail of the fox is a trapezoid and the wings of the hawk are triangles. 2
What one word describes what kind of friends were Wu Ling and Chou? (round-robin response) Why did you choose that word? (spontaneous discussion) Before changing into a rabbit, Wu Ling says, Actions speak louder than words. What did WuLing s actions in the story say about him? Why is Grandfather Tang telling the story to his granddaughter? What is his message to her? In what ways are WuLing and Chou alike? In what ways are they different? What is the same about all of the tangram pieces? Are there different ways that the shapes can fit together to form a polygon? How are different kinds of people like different kinds of shapes? What message did you learn from the story? How can you apply it to your life? 3
Recall the various tangram characters that appeared in the story. Make a class list. After reading and discussing Grandfather Tang s Story by Ann Tompert, create your own tangram character (an animal or a person) using all seven tangram pieces. Integrate the character into a background setting. Write a story about that character, and in a preface, write instructions for other students to recreate the same character, identifying the polygon shapes contained within your tangram. (Explanatory/Identify) (LDC Task#: 8 ) Discuss the requirements of the prompt. What is it asking students to do? 4
Note for students that the writing prompt in this case requires an illustration of the tangram character and step-by-step instructions about how to replicate it. Challenge all to draft their instructions and stories about the tangram character. Pair up writing partners, each reading his or her story to the other. When in the listener s role, students should give a compliment and a suggestion to the writer about the content of the writing. Each writer makes changes accordingly, producing a second draft. Teacher reads student writing and marks changes needed for spelling, grammar and conventions. Students make corrections and prepare for publication. Publish by mounting on the bulletin board outside the classroom for other classes to view. Center student work around a description of the Chinese tangram genre of folktales. Kathy Conroy Providence Spring Elementary Text: Tompert, Ann, and Robert Andrew Parker. Grandfather Tang's Story. New York: Crown, 1990. Print. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptepoksnuq4 5
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