Quilts - Geometiles®

Math and quilts is an organic combination that is one of the best examples of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) activities there is. When quilters decide which shapes to use for their creation, how to cut out these shapes efficiently, how to combine them in a symmetric way, how much fabric they will need, how much the quilt will cost to make, what size they want to make, they are using math. We have just recently begun our journey of learning about quilts and recreating some of the quilt blocks with Geometiles. Check back as we update this page with new ideas!

Here are some patterns you can make with Geometiles right isosceles triangles. Each pair of images links to a high resolution pdf file. You may want to print each pdf on an 8.5″ by 11″ white card stock, then cut the sheets in half. A student can then figure out how to make this pattern with Geometiles.

Here are the slides from Yana’s 2025 workshops at the San Diego STEAM Educators Conference at USD.

Our quilt kit can be purchased here!

Title	Grade Level	Topics	CCSS
Tangrams	Grades 1+	Constructing 2-dimensional shapes	1.G.A.2
Shape Challenge, grade 2 and up	Grades 2+	Constructing polygons	2.G.A.1
Shape Challenge, grade 4 and up	Grades 4+	Constructing polygons; the 4th grade version reflects students’ familiarity with angles and classifying triangles.	3.G.A.1, 4.G.A.1, 4.G.A.2
Fractions	Grades 1 through 5	This sequence takes students from very basic understanding of fractions all the way through multiplying and dividing by fractions.	1.G.A.3, 2.G.A.2, 2.G.A.3, 3.NF.A.1, 3.NF.A.3, 4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2, 4.NF.B.3, 4.NF.B.4, 5.NF
3D Solid Understanding	Grades 2+	Constructing and analyzing a rectangular and other prisms	1.G.A.2
Angle Mania	Grades 4+	Measuring angles, classifying triangles by angle types.	4.MD.C.5, 4.MD.C.7, 4.G.A.1, 4.G.A.2
Ratios plain and golden	Grades 6 through 8	Ratios and proportional relationships; Golden Ratio.	6.RP.A.1, 7.RP.A.2
Volume and Cavalieri's Principle	Grades 6 through 8	Volume and surface area.	HSG.GMD.A1, HSG.GMD.A2, HSG.GMD.A3
Triangles: similar, special, and right	Grades 8+	Similar polygons, special triangles, Pythagorean Theorem, irrational numbers.	8.NS, 8.G.A.4, 8.G.B.6, 8.G.B.7
Platonic and Archimedean Solids	Grades 1+	Platonic and Archimedean solids	Enrichment topic