Dissecting Shapes: Support Notes
- Morceaux & Pièces (French)
The French translation(s) listed for “pieces” in the word generation chart is “morceaux” and the cognate “pièces.” Note that “morceaux” is the better translation for “pieces” in English despite its orthographic dissimilarity. “Pièces” in French is more frequently used to describe “items in a set” (e.g., my dinner set has 46 pieces), “works of art” (e.g., these pieces are from the impressionist era) and coins. (i.e., money).
- Properties
Before prompting students to contemplate and describe the “properties” of different two-dimensional shapes, it may be helpful to clarify the definition of properties. It is conceivable that students might confuse this meaning of properties with that related to one or a collective’s possessions. Instead, make clear to students that, in the context of the math task, properties refer to the features or characteristics of shapes.
