POLYGON PERSPECTIVES – MATH MEETS CREATIVITY | SHAPE IT UP WITH POLYGONS 5
POLYGON PERSPECTIVES–MATH MEETS CREATIVITY:SHAPE IT UP WITH POLYGONS
Learning Description
In this lesson, students will learn how the human body can be used to create expressive shapes and forms. After watching a video of Pilobolus' Shadowland and discussing the use of colors, shapes, and lines, students work in small groups to complete a Hierarchy of Shapes handout. Next, students create a body shape movement phrase in AB form that expresses different types of polygons (quadrilaterals and triangles). Students will incorporate levels and must be able to explain their shape choices and attributes. Groups will create, practice, and perform their movement phrases for each other with the audience identifying the shapes and their attributes. The lesson concludes with an exit ticket where students reflect on the main categories of polygons and describe their attributes.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
- I can create a movement phrase in AB form that expresses different types of polygons using body shapes and levels.
- I can classify polygons based on their attributes.
Essential Questions
- What are the properties and defining attributes of various polygons?
- How can we connect geometric understanding with creative movement to demonstrate our knowledge of polygon attributes?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
5.GSR.8.1 Classify, compare, and contrast polygons based on properties.
5.GSR.8.2 Determine, through exploration and investigation, that attributes belonging to a category of two-dimensional figures also belong to all subcategories of that category.
Arts Standards
ESD5.CR.1.a Create shapes and levels through movement.
ESD5.CR.1.c Demonstrate knowledge of compositional elements through movement (e.g. beginning, middle, end, transitions).
ESD5.CN.3 Integrate dance into other areas of knowledge.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
5.G.3 Understand that attributes belonging to a category of two-dimensional figures also belong to all subcategories of that category.
5.G.4 Classify two-dimensional figures in a hierarchy based on their attributes.
Arts Standards
Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.
Anchor Standard 2: I can choreograph a dance.
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate dance to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Polygon - A plane figure enclosed by line segments called sides
- Regular polygon – A polygon whose sides are all equal and whose interior angles are all congruent
- Parallel lines - Lines in the same plane that never intersect, no matter how far they are extended
- Perpendicular lines - Lines that intersect at a 90-degree angle, forming right angles where they meet
- Triangle – A polygon with three sides and three angles
- Equilateral triangle – A triangle with three equal sides and three congruent triangles
- Isosceles triangle – A triangle with two equal sides and two congruent angles
- Scalene triangle – A triangle with three different sides and three incongruent angles
- Right triangle – A triangle in which one angle is a right angle
- Acute triangle – A triangle with three acute (less than ninety degree) angles
- Obtuse triangle – A triangle with one obtuse (greater than ninety degree) angle
- Quadrilateral – A polygon with four sides
- Trapezoid – A quadrilateral with only one set of parallel sides
- Isosceles trapezoid – A trapezoid whose non-parallel sides are equal in length
- Rectangle – A quadrilateral with four right angles
Arts Vocabulary
- Levels - how high or low you are dancing (high, middle, low)
- Body shape - a frozen statue created by the body
- AB Form - a two-part sequence, the second part different from the first
Materials
- Hierarchy of Shapes handout (for each student or group)
- Pilobolus Shadowland video
- Resource: Colors, Shapes, Lines Thinking Strategy
- Polygon Type Movement Phrase in AB Form Rubric
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Provide students with background information on Pilobolus Dance Company.
- Modern dance company founded in 1971
- Collaborates with other artists to create performance works, including MIT, OK Go and Radiolab
- Performances focus on using the human body as a medium for expression – often using contortion and gymnastics to create new shapes.
- Watch Pilobolus Shadowland
- After watching, engage in Colors, Shapes, Lines Thinking Strategy.
- Instruct students to look at the artwork or object for a moment. Ask them the following:
- What colors do you see?
- What shapes do you see?
- What lines do you see?
- Focus particularly on the Body Shapes seen in the video.
- Instruct students to look at the artwork or object for a moment. Ask them the following:
Work Session
- Divide the class into small groups of four to five students.
- In their groups, students should complete the Hierarchy of Shapes
- After a designated period (around seven to ten minutes), review the Hierarchy of Shapes handout for accuracy as a class.
- Explain that students will now create a Body Shape Movement Phrase in ‘AB Form’ that expresses different types of Polygons.
- The Polygon Type Movement Phrase should Include:
- ‘AB Form’
- Part A: Quadrilaterals
- Group of body shapes that represent at least three different types of quadrilaterals
- Part B: Triangles
- Group of body shapes that represent at least three different types of triangles
- All three levels (high, middle, and low)
- Part A: Quadrilaterals
- Students should be able to defend their choices for each part (Why is this a quadrilateral and not a triangle? What are the names of the different shapes in each part? What are the shape's attributes?).
- Allow students time to practice their movement phrases.
- After a designated period, have all groups perform their phrase in a dress rehearsal (all groups perform their movement phrase at the same time).
- Invite groups to perform their phrases individually in front of the class.
- Prior to performances, discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette.
- After each group, have the audience identify the types of polygons and how they knew it was that shape (attributes expressed in the body shape).
- ‘AB Form’
Closing Reflection
- Have students complete the following exit ticket:
- What are the two main categories of polygons? What attributes do shapes in each category share?
- Identify two types of shapes in each category and describe the attributes of those shapes.
- How did you use your body to express the attributes of polygons?
Assessments
Formative
- Pre-assessment: Responses during ‘Colors, Shapes, Lines’ thinking strategy to see the shapes that students already know
- Hierarchy of Shapes Handout
- Individual group check-ins during group work time
- Exit Ticket
Summative
Polygon Type Movement Phrase in AB Form Rubric
Differentiation
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Acceleration: Students record in writing each shape of their phrase noting its name and defining attributes. Remediation: Focus the phrase on quadrilaterals or triangles. |
Credits
U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning
Ideas contributed by: Christopher Crabb
*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.
Revised and copyright: June 2025 @ ArtsNOW