A Cloak for the Dreamer

Objective:  Determine and identify the number of sides and corners of plane figures.

Materials: A Cloak for the Dreamer by Aileen Friedman, overhead projector, overhead pattern blocks, overhead counters, pattern blocks sheet, brown paper bags, crayons, glue Sides and Corners Activity sheet, and scissors and computer with Internet connection.  

Book Overview:  Three sons of a tailor are chosen to make cloaks for the Archduke.  While two of them do a splendid job fitting shapes together, the youngest, Misha, makes his cloak of circles.  The result is a beautiful, but useless, it is a cloak full of open spaces.

Introduction:  The teacher will begin by reading A Cloak for the Dreamer by Aileen Friedman, a story which explains how shapes with sides and corners fit together.  As the story is read, the teacher will demonstrate on overhead projector how shapes fit together for students to see.  The teacher will review shapes and ask students to identify sides and corners in order to count them.  Lead students into discussion on how sides and corners fit together and how to identify them.

Web Activities:  Students will go to the Online Pattern Blocks website.  Here they can practice designing a cloak like the sons of the tailor in the story.  They can either print, if possible, or transfer their design to paper.  They will then use their designs to make "vests"  using paper bags and pattern blocks.  

Assessment:  The students will complete Sides and Corners Activity sheet using pattern block manipulatives.  

Home Learning:  Students will use previous lessons home learning and identify the number of sides and corners on the objects they listed. 

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