Tangrams are ancient Chinese puzzles that are still used today by both adults and children.A tangram begins with a square. This square is cut into seven standard pieces. Each piece is called a tan. When creating pictures with tangrams all seven pieces must be used to complete each picture. When tangrams are used during storytelling, the storyteller arranges the tans to show the shape of the characters in the story. Each new arrangement helps to tell the story elements as the story develops. T