Grade Bands
NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
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Pre-K – 2
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3 – 5
ÒThe
reasoning skills that students develop in grades 3-5 allow them to investigate
geometric problems of increasing complexity and to study geometric properties. As
they move from grade 3 to grade 5, they should develop clarity and precision in
describing the properties of geometric objects and then classifying them by
these properties into categories such as rectangle, triangle, pyramid, or prism
. . .
The
study of geometry in grades 3-5 requires thinking and doing. As students sort,
build, draw, model, trace, measure, and construct, their capacity to visualize
geometric relationships will develop . . .
This
exploration requires access to a variety of tools, such as graph paper, rulers,
pattern blocks, geoboards, and geometric solids, and is greatly enhanced by
electronic tools that support exploration, such as dynamic geometry software.Ó NCTM p. 165
ÒMuch
of the work students do with three-dimensional shapes involves visualization.
By representing three-dimensional shapes in two dimensions and constructing
three-dimensional shapes from two-dimensional representations, students should
learn about the characteristics of shapes . . .
Students
should become experienced in using a variety of representations for
three-dimensional shapes, for example, making a freehand drawing of a cylinder
or cone or constructing a building out of cubes from a set of views . . .Ó NCTM p. 168
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6 – 8
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9 – 12