Slides, Turns, and Flips Background Information for Teachers, Parents and Caregivers

This page provides information to support educators and families in teaching K-3 students about slides, turns and flips. It is designed to complement the Slides, Turns, and Flips topic page on BrainPOP Jr.

This movie will explore shapes and how to move them through slides, turns, and flips. In geometry, these movements are known as transformations. We highly recommend that children use pattern blocks and draw pictures to help reinforce the ideas in the movie.

Review with children that a slide is when a shape moves in one direction from one place to another. It may be helpful for some children to visualize a baseball player sliding into home. The player begins on third base and slides into home base. The player moves in one direction from one place to another. Slide a shape in order to demonstrate the concept and have children slide their own shapes. How many different directions can you slide a shape? Remind children that shapes can be slid to the left, right, up, and down. They can even slide diagonally.

A turn is when a shape moves around so that it points in a different direction. Show a clock and demonstrate how the hands rotate around and point to different numbers. You may wish to use an arrow and turn it to show how a shape “points” in a different direction as it turns. Have children turn a pattern block by placing one finger on a corner. That’s the corner that will stay put. Then have them place another finger on the shape and turn it around the corner. Explain that during a turn, one spot of the shape stays in the same place. Have them practice turning other shapes to the left and to the right.

A flip is when a shape is turned over so it faces the opposite direction. Flip an arrow to demonstrate the concept. If you start with the arrow pointing to the left and flip it, the arrow will point in the opposite direction, to the right. Together, flip shapes to the left and to the right. Remind children that they can also flip a shape up or down. You may want to draw a shape and put it in front of a mirror to show the flipped image. Some children may know that we sometimes call a flip a reflection.

Provide children with plenty of opportunities to slide, flip, and turn shapes. Then challenge them to combine the moves, such as flipping and turning or sliding and turning. You may want children to trace their shapes before and after the manipulations. Encourage them to explore on their own!