Shape Up!
Written by: David A. Adler
Illustrated by: Nancy Tobin
Illustrated by: Nancy Tobin
Summary
_Shape Up! by David A. Adler, uses different everyday items, such as pretzels and cheese, to teach geometry concepts including triangles, angles, and polygons. This nonfiction text begins by exploring the three different types of triangles. Next, the three types of angles are explored. Then, quadrilaterals are introduced. Finally, polygons that have five or more sides are included. Shape Up! provides many opportunities for your child to explore many geometric concepts using everyday items. Shape Up! makes geometry more realistic and practical for your child.
Shape Up! is a perfect book for what we are currently learning in geometry! It will help your child to review what we are currently learning and it will also provide a sneak peak at what we will learn next. _ |
Front and Back Matter
The front cover of Shape Up! is very colorful and full of geometric shapes. The vibrant colors entice the reader to open the book and begin reading. The back cover shows the boy in the story carrying many different shapes. The boy carrying shapes is symbolic of all the geometric knowledge that the reader will gain after reading the book. The front matter includes the title of the publication, author, illustrator, and publication information. There is also a one page glossary at the end of the book that helps to organize the vocabulary by triangles, polygons angles, and quadrilaterals with each term defined.
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Theme
Geometric Shapes
Age Appropriateness
This book is geared for students in grades three through five. However, it can be used as a read aloud for younger children. When used appropriately, this book can be used for children ages six and up.
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Literacy and Mathematics
Writing Style: The writing style of Shape Up! is expository. The writing is very informative and filled with rich vocabulary. The sentences are delivered in a mix of directions and explanations of the vocabulary in the text. The sentences describing the different shapes are very descriptive and flow from one shape to the next.
Vocabulary: This book uses everyday language as well as content rich vocabulary. The vocabulary used in the text includes: triangle, scalene triangle, equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, polygon, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, hendecagon, dodecagon, angles, right angle, acute angle, obtuse angle, vertex, trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, and square. Make sure to review the glossary with your child at the back of the book. Presentation: At first glance, this text could be a bit overwhelming for children. The text features of this book varies from page to page. Different fonts, text sizes, text location, and color all keep the reader engaged and looking for more information. The text also features speech bubbles from a boy throughout the story. I suggest taking a picture walk with your child before reading this book. Readability Score: The Frey Readability Chart leveled Shape Up! at a 6th grade level, due to the high number of syllables per world, per sentence. This book is still appropriate for fourth grade because the students already know many of these tricky vocabulary words. The glossary in the back of the book is a great tool to help define the large vocabulary words if needed. |
Visual Features: The book includes visual models of different shapes and angles. The feature supports the text because it provides your child a visual representation of the shapes, rather than just a words describing the shapes. The visual features also help your child see the differences between the different polygons.
Illustrations: The illustrations of this text are very vibrant and colorful. The illustrations are not overpowering. They add to the text and accentuate key vocabulary. Content: The content of Shape Up! includes many mathematic concepts with visual representation associated.The main concepts that were focused on in this book includes triangles, angles, quadrilaterals, and polygons. After reading this book, the reader will learn names of geometric shapes and the number of sides and angles that are associated with the shape. Accuracy: The author, David Adler, is a former math teacher. The information that he presented in this book about geometric shapes is accurate. The figures correctly show each different geometric shape. Authentic/Fictionalized: Shape Up! is neither authentic or fictionalized. It is an informative text that explains many geometric terms to the reader. |
Shape Up! Activity
You can complete this activity while you are reading or after you finish reading, Shape Up!
Shape Up! creates triangles, angles, quadrilaterals, and various polygons, using cheese, pretzel sticks, and slices of bread. During this activity, your child will create many different geometric shapes, just like in the book. You can use the same materials that they use in book or substitute the food items for other common items found in your home. Possible Materials:
While your child is busy creating shapes and angles, encourage them to create many variations of the shapes and to think of other shapes that are not presented in the book. Make sure that your child is using the vocabulary that is presented in the book and describing the different vocabulary terms. Ask your child lots of questions! Below are a few questions that you could ask your child:
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Image Source: http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lessons/SquaresRectangles/rectangles.jpg
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Reference:
Adler, D. A., & Tobin, N. (1998). Shape up!. New York: Holiday House.
Adler, D. A., & Tobin, N. (1998). Shape up!. New York: Holiday House.