Skill: Build shapes from smaller shapes

Explanation and Free Practice Resources

A composite shape is understood as a whole formed by joining familiar two-dimensional shapes, such as triangles, squares, and rectangles, or simple three-dimensional shapes, such as cubes and rectangular prisms; the same whole may have more than one valid decomposition. Reasoning focuses on how parts fit together and how the parts’ attributes contribute to the resulting figure, without requiring formal area or volume calculations, generalized transformations, or advanced geometric constructions.

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Detailed Explanation: Build shapes from smaller shapes

A composite shape is one whole shape made by joining smaller shapes.

Example

Build a “house” shape using one rectangle and one triangle.

Start with the rectangle. It will be the bottom part of the house.
Find the triangle’s longest side, called its base.
Place the triangle on top of the rectangle.
Match the triangle’s base to the rectangle’s top edge.
Make sure the shapes touch all along that edge. There should be no gap or overlap.
The two shapes now make one whole house-shaped figure.

The rectangle makes the walls, and the triangle makes the roof. The parts fit together to form a new shape.

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Shape Composites - Composite Shape Picture to Shape Set

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