EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Learn by exploring.

Eight documents to explore pieces, build shapes and discuss strategies. Choose an activity, prepare its materials and open the full instructions.

Search, assemble, play.

Three French dossiers for French school cycles 3 and 4: 28 pages, including 12 activity worksheets with teaching guidance.

Quadrichromie page from Rechercher, with squares to colour — Preview · page 8 / 13

Document in French · PDF · 13 pages

Rechercher · recognise and construct pieces

Count arrangements of four colours, recognise rotated pieces and organise a search. Six worksheets support the exploration.

Who it is for: French school cycles 3 and 4 · mathematics.
What to prepare: Blue, yellow, red and green paper triangles, colouring sheets and game pieces. Some activities use 24 pieces (four sets of six); an opaque bag is used for the missing-piece game.
Credit and source: Stéphane Robert · Éduscol teaching dossier, © MENESR/DGESCO.

1.73 MB

Rectangles et carrés worksheet from Assembler, with a grid and a results table — Preview · page 7 / 10

Document in French · PDF · 10 pages

Assembler · shapes, symmetry and colours

Build rectangles and squares, explore symmetry and set colour constraints for borders. Four worksheets encourage experimentation and explanation.

Who it is for: French school cycles 3 and 4 · some activities require knowledge of symmetry.
What to prepare: One or two sets of six different pieces and the four printed worksheets. Extensions may use all 24 pieces and the marked central piece of the game described.
Credit and source: Stéphane Robert · Éduscol teaching dossier, © MENESR/DGESCO.

329.94 kB

Victoire worksheet from Jouer, showing remaining pieces and a board position — Preview · page 4 / 5

Document in French · PDF · 5 pages

Jouer · think ahead to win

Compare possible moves and explain decisions using games or fixed positions. Two worksheets, Victoire and 2 coups, explore endgames.

Who it is for: French school cycles 3 and 4 · familiarity with the game’s rules.
What to prepare: The complete game and its rules for two- or four-player games; the Victoire and 2 coups worksheets for analysis. A projected position can support group discussion.
Credit and source: Stéphane Robert · Éduscol teaching dossier, © MENESR/DGESCO.

603.03 kB

Five booklets to explore further.

57 pages in English: explore pieces, build puzzles, move into three dimensions and reason about a game. The fourth booklet is a two-page introduction.

Harlequin 1 page from Pieces, with six pieces and several silhouettes — Preview · page 21 / 27

Document in English · PDF · 27 pages

Pieces · explore the pieces

Observe, name and transform pieces; reproduce silhouettes, explore symmetry and discover counting extensions.

Who it is for: Progressive activities; some counting extensions are intended for secondary-school students.
What to prepare: Four-colour paper, printed worksheets and sets of six pieces, up to the complete game depending on the activity. The Reflections worksheet also uses a mirror.
Credit and source: UNITED SQUARE · educational collaboration with Stéphane Robert, credited in this booklet.

1.39 MB

Arrow page from Puzzles, showing an arrow-shaped figure to complete — Preview · page 8 / 18

Document in English · PDF · 18 pages

Puzzles · assemble and reason

Complete figures, then explore rectangles, squares, symmetry and borders. Constraints develop through the worksheets.

Who it is for: Choose activities for the group, from first assemblies to more advanced reasoning.
What to prepare: Printed models and one or two sets of six pieces. Some extensions use the game’s 24 pieces and central piece; check the scale of models intended to be covered.
Credit and source: UNITED SQUARE · educational collaboration with Stéphane Robert, credited in this booklet.

615.57 kB

Colours page from Cubes, with several partly coloured cube nets — Preview · page 3 / 6

Document in English · PDF · 6 pages

Cubes · move into three dimensions

Colour cube nets so that colours match along the edges. Explore how six faces meet in space.

What to prepare: The booklet’s cube nets, colouring pencils and six different pieces to explore face colours. The activity uses a cube net, rather than a turning cube puzzle.
Credit and source: UNITED SQUARE · educational collaboration with Stéphane Robert, credited in this booklet.

322.64 kB

Cover of Educational Book 4, Strategies — Preview · page 1 / 2

Document in English · PDF · 2 pages

Strategies · an introduction

Two pages to start a discussion about scoring, limiting an opponent’s choices and thinking ahead. A cover and introductory text, without a set of exercises or complete rules.

What to prepare: The booklet to begin a discussion; to play afterwards, the chosen game and its complete rules.
Credit and source: UNITED SQUARE · educational collaboration with Stéphane Robert, credited in this booklet.

273.99 kB

Victory page from Victories, showing available pieces and an endgame position — Preview · page 3 / 4

Document in English · PDF · 4 pages

Victories · find the decisive move

Two endgame situations to count points, compare placements and work out how to win in one or two moves.

Who it is for: Familiarity with the rules of the game illustrated.
What to prepare: The two position worksheets, Victory and 2 Blows, and the game’s rules. Matching pieces can help explore the illustrated situations.
Credit and source: UNITED SQUARE · educational collaboration with Stéphane Robert, credited in this booklet.

340.97 kB

Preparing an activity.

Choose a question.
Start with something to explore: recognising a piece, building a shape or comparing possible moves. Read the document’s guidance first.
Gather the materials.
Identify the worksheet, pieces and other materials required. Print the relevant pages; check the scale of models that need to be covered with pieces.
Try, then discuss.
Follow the full instructions in the PDF. Allow time to experiment, then ask participants to show a solution and explain how they found it.

These documents use the materials specified for each activity: sets of game pieces, colouring sheets or cube nets. Use the pieces requested; the POSTER’s 25 tiles do not automatically replace every one of these materials.

Prepare a guided or remote session

A game with educational perspectives.

UNITED SQUARE was created by Julien Selz. Stéphane Robert authored the French activity worksheets and contributed to the game’s challenges.

The three French dossiers carry the Éduscol and © MENESR/DGESCO credits. The official presentation “Les mathématiques par les jeux — United Square” brings together the themes Rechercher, Assembler and Jouer.

Each of the five English Educational Book booklets credits collaboration with Stéphane Robert, a mathematics teacher. These booklets form a UNITED SQUARE series separate from the Éduscol dossiers.

Read the official Éduscol presentation (French)