Tangrams: The Seven Magic Shapes
Three Pigs, One Wolf and the Seven Magic Shapes by Grace Maccarone is a wonderful introduction for younger students to tangrams. The Tangram is an ancient Chinese puzzle in which 
one is to form a specific shape given only in outline or silhouette using all seven pieces, 
which may not overlap. In this book, the seven shapes make different characters or objects that further the plot.
The tangrams in this book are not a single silhouette; the pieces are set slightly apart so that the young readers can manipulate the tans (the individual shapes that make up the set of tangrams) and copy the pictures. 
After copying several different pictures from the book, my youngest student felt confidant enough to make his own pictures. These can be traced onto paper and given to other people to solve. It is a lot of fun for young children to see others working on a puzzle they have created.
resources:
- GEMS: Build It! FestivalA wide assortment of classroom learning station activities focus on mathematics relating to construction, geometric challenges, and spatial visualization. Activities connect to the real world and potential careers. Free exploration sets the stage for such mathematical challenges as Create-A-Shape, Dowel Designs, Polyhedra, Symmetry, Tangrams, and What Comes Next? Background on geometry is provided. Special materials required include pattern blocks and polyhedra. Template patterns for folding and constructing shapes and creating tangrams are provided.
Kindergarten-6
9 Activities
224 pages - Another resource about tangrams can be found at Love2Learn2day.
