Math Story : Differentiate between square, rectangle and diamond shape
The Drawing Challenge And Confusion
One day Cirha was bored. She decides to meet Squarho and leaves for his home.
When she reaches Squarho’s home, she is surprised to see Cirho and Triho there as well. All three of them were drawing and having so much fun.
“I was so bored at home. So I came to meet you all. What are you guys doing?” she questions. Showing their colours and pens, they say “We are drawing! Want to join us?” Cirha denies. She does not seem to be in the mood to do anything.
To help Cirha, Cirho comes up with an idea. “Why don’t you conduct a drawing challenge for the three of us? Whoever draws well will win”, he says. As Cirha likes conducting and organizing events, she immediately agrees. She starts to plan the rules for the drawing challenge.
It looks like Cirha is ready with her rules. What are her rules for the challenge? “So, it is going to be simple. I will give you the instructions and you will follow them to draw. Once done, I will check all three drawings and decide the winner. Alright?” she announces. Everybody is clear. There is no confusion. The challenge begins.
Why don’t you also join the competition? Quickly grab your book and pencil. Come on!
“So here we go! First, draw a big circle”, instructs Cirha. All three are engrossed in their drawings. “Then, draw a standing line below it such that it touches the circle”, Cirha continues.
“Now, draw a square such that it forms the body. Next, draw two small circles to show feet. Finally, add eyes and a smile to the face!” instructs Cirha. Triho, Cirho, and Squarho follow the instructions to complete the drawing.
“Tada! I am done. Surely, I will win!” says Cirho. He is overconfident. Cirha asks them to show their respective drawings.
Looking at their drawings, Cirha is baffled. “I gave the same instructions to all three of you. Then why do your drawings look different?” questions Cirha. Triho, Squarho, and Cirho check their drawings too. They seem to be confused as well.
Cirha is struggling to decide the winner. She says, “I instructed you to draw a square body. A square has four sides. All your squares have four sides, but why do they look different? How should I decide the winner now?” And suddenly, “Ding-Dong!” they hear the doorbell ring. Who could it be?
Ahh! It is Uncle Math on the door. He is here to give a box to Squarho. Cirha is elated and pulls Uncle Math inside to help her decide the winner.
Looking at the drawings, Uncle Math says, “Clearly, Squarho is the winner, Cirha”, Squarho starts dancing.
“But, why are we not the winners?” questions Cirho. He seems to be angry. “We also drew squares. Yes, our squares look different. But, they are squares at the end of the day. Right?” adds Triho. Uncle Math starts laughing.
“Children! You remember that a square has four sides. But you forgot one important thing about squares. All the sides of a square are equal”, explains Uncle Math.
He says, “Triho see, two of your sides are short, and two are long. You drew a rectangle”.
“And Cirho, you drew a diamond shape. A diamond shape is a square that is pulled from its corners. The diamond shape looks like a kite”, adds Uncle Math.
Triho and Cirho understand their mistakes. To conclude, Cirha says, “So, Squaro drew a square. Triho drew a rectangle, and Cirho drew a diamond. Clearly, Squarho wins!”
The challenge is over and Uncle Math leaves. The kids stay back and play more games. Challenges are fun but confusions are even more fun. They not only help us gain clarity but also help in learning more deeply and lastingly.
We Learnt That…
- A square, rectangle and diamond shape have 4 sides.
- All the sides of the square are equal.
- A rectangle has two short sides and two long sides.
- A diamond shape is like a square pulled from its corners. It looks like a kite.
Let’s Discuss!
- What were the rules of Cirha’s drawing challenge?
- What shapes did we draw the body in? Why was only Squarho right?
- Can you explain the difference between square, rectangle, and diamond shapes?
- “Confusions help us gain clarity and learn more deeply and lastingly” Do you agree? Why or why not?
Experience the immersive video version of this captivating story by clicking the link below, and let the excitement come to life :
Please refer this guide by Fun2Do Labs for teaching shapes to kids :
