Shapes in the Alphabet
We are going to look at capital letters, not for writing or spelling, but as shapes with various different properties.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC1.gif?itok=xPXobTNB)
Some letters have horizontal lines, some have vertical lines and some have both. Some letters enclose a space and others do not. Some can be drawn without taking your pencil off the paper or going over the same line more than once, others can't.
In this challenge we are going to find sets of letters that go together because they share some features.
Here are some letter shapes that go together in a set -
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC2.gif?itok=Kn-gp6cs)
Scroll down to find some more letters in the set.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-Scroll.gif?itok=6qad-9Hr)
Here you are:
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC3.gif?itok=mMl5nkMh)
Were you right or do you think differently now?
Scroll down to find some more letters in the set.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-Scroll.gif?itok=6qad-9Hr)
Here you are.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC4.gif?itok=PmOTwSqF)
Can you find other letters that share properties with these letters? There are ten of them.
Now we are going to try with a different set of letters. Here are two of them.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC5.gif?itok=kpAtb93n)
Scroll down to find some more letters in the set.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-Scroll.gif?itok=6qad-9Hr)
Here you are.
![Shapes in the Alphabet Shapes in the Alphabet](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/thumbnails/content-id-6031-ABC6.gif?itok=rBsY9D5w)
Were you right or do you think differently now?
Can you find other letters that go with these? There are nine of them.
Now you can make your own sets of letters. Try challenging a friend in the same way with your sets of letters.
What is the same about the letters in this set now?
Which other letters could go with them?
Christina wrote:
The solution for the first problem is: G,O,Q,S - All these are letters with curves. Just like the letters given: D,P,R,J,C,U. None of the letters are completely straight.Well done! Joanna from Seal Primary School looked at the second set of letters and said:
Christina suggest two sets of her own:
Why do this problem?
Possible approach
Key questions
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