The purpose of this activity is for students to use language to describe and distinguish quadrilaterals (MP6). This activity is stage 7 of the Which One? center. One partner chooses a shape from the gameboard without telling their partner. Their partner asks "yes" or "no" questions to figure out which shape their partner chose. Students focus on quadrilaterals. Students may rely on what they remember about categories of quadrilaterals, such as rectangles and rhombuses. They can also use informal language such as tilted, arrow, or red pattern block. The goal of the Activity Synthesis is to share and gather language which was helpful for distinguishing the quadrilaterals. 

This activity uses MLR2 Collect and Display. Advances: Conversing, Reading, Writing. 

• “Are there any other words or phrases that are important to include on our display?”
• As students share responses, update the display, by adding (or replacing) language, diagrams, or annotations.
• Remind students to borrow language from the display as needed.
• Invite previously selected students to share.
• Display the rhombus card that is not a square.
• “What are some names we can use to describe this shape?” (quadrilateral, diamond, parallelogram, rhombus)

The purpose of this activity is for students to sort quadrilaterals that they have worked with in previous grades. Students sort twice using categories of their own choosing and then again using parallel lines. Some categories students may choose include squares, rectangles, and rhombuses but they may also sort according to whether or not the shapes are labeled, how they are oriented, angle size, or side lengths (MP7).

As students work, encourage them to refine their descriptions of quadrilaterals using more precise language and mathematical terms (MP6).

• Choose a shape that does have parallel lines and a shape that does not have parallel lines. “What is the same and different about the lines in these two shapes?”
• “How could you use rulers to extend the lines of the shapes?”

• Invite previously selected students to share.
• As students share their sorts, ask, “What attributes do all of these shapes have in common?”
• “How did you use parallel lines to sort the quadrilaterals?” (Some of the quadrilaterals did not have any parallel sides. Some had one pair of parallel sides. And some had two pairs of parallel sides.)
• Invite students to share examples of the quadrilaterals with no parallel sides, one pair of parallel sides, and two pairs of parallel sides.