Tangram Tactics!
Tangrams not only make interesting pictures, but when described mathematically, they reveal geometric fractions, decimals, and percents! Select the button below to learn more with my hands-on activity!
A Tangram consists of seven pieces; 2 large right isosceles triangles, 1 medium right isosceles triangle, 2 small right isosceles triangles, 1 small square, and 1 parallelogram. Each piece is called a “tan” where the word “tangram” in Chinese means “the seven boards of cunning”. Notice how each tan relates to the other 6 tans. This leads to observations on the relationships between parts and the whole, and to equivalency in decimal, percent, and fractional forms. Taking it Further you can; Create shapes with a particular value. For example, make a tangram picture having the area of 5/8. Which pieces can be used? Use combinations of selected pieces to create a Right Isosceles Triangle or a Quadrilateral (a polygon with four sides and four angles).