How it works
This quadrilateral graphic organizer sets six shapes side by side on one page. Filling it in shows which properties the shapes share and which set them apart, the first step in classifying them.
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Quadrilateral graphic organizers by grade
In the Common Core standards, 3rd grade students recognize rhombuses, rectangles and squares as quadrilaterals and draw ones that are none of these. In 5th grade they classify figures in a hierarchy based on properties, which is the job of the two charts with boxes to tick.
Two meanings of trapezoid
Some books define a trapezoid as having at least one pair of parallel sides, which makes every parallelogram a trapezoid. Many school books say exactly one pair. The blank sheets leave the choice to you, and the sample notes both.
- Compare the rows of the properties chart when it is done: the square gets every check the rectangle and the rhombus get.
- Ask for each sketch tilted, not sitting flat, so the shape is known by its sides and angles and not by its pose.
Questions and answers
What are the types of quadrilaterals?
A quadrilateral is any polygon with four sides and four corners. This organizer covers six kinds: parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, square, trapezoid and kite. There are others, such as the isosceles trapezoid.
Is a square a rectangle?
Yes. A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles, and a square has four right angles and four equal sides. A square is also a rhombus, because a rhombus needs only four equal sides.
What is the difference between a rhombus and a parallelogram?
A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides. A rhombus is a parallelogram whose four sides are all the same length. So every rhombus is a parallelogram, and only some parallelograms are rhombuses.