The Miracle of Maala, Jimmy - Rectangle Story
2 Minutes
Rectangle shape for kids explores sides, corners, and real-life examples through a story about Mala and her dog. A short maths lesson in English.
- Mala taking an annual family photo with her beloved dog Jimmy
- Sides, corners, and equal opposite sides of a rectangle (sevagam)
- Everyday rectangle objects like doors, blackboards, and chocolates
What this lesson teaches
A rectangle is a geometric shape that has four sides and four corners, where the opposite sides are equal to each other. In Tamil, this shape is called sevagam.
Features of a rectangle
A rectangle is a flat shape defined by specific geometrical characteristics. It has four straight boundaries known as sides and four points where these edges meet, known as corners. Unlike shapes where every side has the exact same measurement, a rectangle features opposite sides that are equal to each other. This means the top edge matches the bottom edge, and the left edge matches the right edge.
Everyday examples
- A large classroom blackboard used for writing lessons has four sides with matching opposite edges.
- The main entrance door of a house and a home refrigerator both share this four-cornered shape.
- A sleeping bed provides space using a rectangular structure where opposite sides are equal.
- Smaller everyday items like bars of chocolate and paper money notes also come in the shape of a rectangle.
Story of Mala and Jimmy
In Kilakarai, a girl named Mala loved playing with her pet dog Jimmy, whom she had raised since he was a pup. Every year, Mala's family followed a tradition of taking a group photograph at the end of the year to hang on their wall. Mala felt sad because earlier photos, which were all square, did not include Jimmy. When the photographer missed Jimmy during their new photo, Mala cried, so the photographer took another picture in a rectangular frame.
Using rectangular frames
A rectangular frame provides a different shape compared to a traditional square frame. In Mala's home, all the previous family pictures were squares, but a rectangle allowed enough room to include Jimmy alongside Mala, her mother, and her father. Hanging this new picture with a garland in the middle of the other family frames ensured Jimmy was finally part of the family tradition.