TangramsI created this file because I plan to use tangrams extensively in my classroom. The file includes 144 tangram puzzles. The designs are from the Iphone app Tanzen1. I have drawn and scanned them into this file. I am distributing the file because the puzzleswill be useful in any math classroom to introduce tangrams or as a free time activity.

The tangram puzzles in this file have been drawn to scale so they will work with thestandard tangram manipulative set. The manipulatives form a 10 cm square. For reference,the small triangle (the base area unit for the 7 piece set) is a 45, 45, 90 triangle with a 5 cm hypotenuse.

I have printed individual slides and tested them with the tangram set to verify that the scaling is exact. However, printers may vary so please test one puzzle yourself to verify the scale of the printed puzzle. If you find a problem please let me know so I can fix it.

I will introduce tangrams with a student reading of the book The Warlord’s Puzzle: A Mathematical Adventure2. The book ends with a suggestion to make your own tangram puzzle out of cardboard and that’s what my classes will do next. The manipulatives are available but students will get more out of making their own set. Instructions are shown on the following slides. A 10 cm square piece of cardstock should be used so that the pieces match the standard manipulatives and so that they work with the puzzles.

10 cm square

Tangram construction

1. Kemper, Craig and Linda. Little White Bear Studios (2008). TanZen Iphone application.

2. Pilegard, Virginia Walton. Illustrated by Debon, Nicholas, The Warlord’s Puzzle: A Mathematical Adventure. Gretna Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company, 2000.

3. Scavo, Tom, Constructing Your Own Set of Tangrams, retrieved 12 July 2009 from http://mathforum.org/trscavo/tangrams/construct.html

Please direct any questions or comments to:Calvin ColbyChisholm Trail Middle Schoolccolby@austin.rr.com