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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 7 Mathematics★ 3-6 marks in the TN Class 7 Term 1 exam through logical-reasoning and activity questions

Information Processing (Term 1) - Route Maps and Tetrominoes

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 7 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 6, Information Processing. Reading and using route maps to find shortest paths, and exploring tetrominoes (shapes made of four equal squares) and how they fit together, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

⏱ 13 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Read a route map and list possible paths
2Find the shortest route by total distance
3Identify and draw the basic tetrominoes
4Rotate and flip tetrominoes
5Use logical reasoning to solve spatial puzzles

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Why this chapter matters

Information processing builds logical and spatial reasoning through route maps and tetrominoes — skills used in planning, puzzles and computer thinking. These activities are tested in the TN Class 7 Term 1 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 6 — Information Processing

Patterns and logic.

Information Processing (Route Maps and Tetrominoes) — Class 7 Maths (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 7 Mathematics, Term 1 — Chapter 6. Thinking logically with maps and shapes.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers route maps — finding and comparing paths between places — and tetrominoes — shapes made of four equal squares.

2. Route maps

A route map shows places (as points/nodes) connected by paths, often marked with distances.
To find the shortest route, list the possible paths from start to finish, add the distances along each, and choose the smallest total.
Route maps build skills in planning, comparing and logical reasoning.

3. Tetrominoes

A tetromino is a shape made by joining four equal squares edge to edge.
There are five basic tetrominoes, usually named by the letters they resemble: I, O, T, L (and its mirror J), S (and its mirror Z).
Tetrominoes can be rotated and flipped, and many can tile (cover) a region without gaps — the idea used in puzzles and games.

4. Worked examples

Example 1. A route map shows three paths from A to B: 12 km, 9 km and 15 km. Which is shortest? The 9 km path is the shortest.

Example 2. How many squares make a tetromino? Four equal squares.

Example 3. Name two tetrominoes. The I-tetromino and the T-tetromino (also O, L, S).

5. Exercises (Samacheer Kalvi)

From a route map with paths of 8 km, 11 km and 7 km between two towns, find the shortest.
Draw all five basic tetrominoes and label them by letter.
Using an L-tetromino, show two different positions by rotating it.
Find the total distance of the route A → C → B if AC = 6 km and CB = 5 km.
Can four squares in a straight line form a tetromino? Name it.

6. Common mistakes

Mistake: Choosing a route by the number of stops instead of the total distance. Fix: Add the distances along each route and compare the totals.
Mistake: Saying a tetromino has three squares. Fix: A tetromino has four equal squares.
Mistake: Treating a rotated tetromino as a new one. Fix: Rotations/flips of the same shape are the same tetromino.

7. Quick revision

Term 1 · Ch 6 · information processing.
Route map: points joined by paths with distances; shortest route = smallest total distance.
Tetromino = four equal squares joined edge to edge; five basic types (I, O, T, L, S).
Tetrominoes can rotate, flip and tile regions.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Route distance

total = sum of path lengths along the route

Compare totals.

Shortest route

route with the smallest total distance

Plan efficiently.

Tetromino

four equal squares joined edge to edge

Five basic types.

Types

I, O, T, L, S (with mirrors J, Z)

Rotate and flip.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Choosing a route by the number of stops instead of total distance

✓ Add the distances along each route and compare the totals.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying a tetromino has three squares

✓ A tetromino has four equal squares.

WATCH OUT

✗ Treating a rotated tetromino as a new one

✓ Rotations and flips of the same shape are the same tetromino.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Route maps

Find shortest routes and total distances.

Questions

Tetrominoes

Draw, name, rotate and flip tetrominoes.

Questions

Reasoning

Spatial and logical puzzles.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Route map

Three paths between two towns are 8 km, 11 km and 7 km. Which is shortest?

▶ Show solution

The 7 km path.

Q2EASY· Route map

Find the total distance of A → C → B if AC = 6 km and CB = 5 km.

▶ Show solution

11 km.

Q3EASY· Tetromino

How many equal squares make a tetromino?

▶ Show solution

Four.

Q4EASY· Tetromino

What is a tetromino of four squares in a straight line called?

▶ Show solution

The I-tetromino.

Q5MEDIUM· Reasoning

How many basic tetrominoes are there, and name them.

▶ Show solution

Five: I, O, T, L and S (with mirror forms J and Z).

Q6MEDIUM· Route map

Routes A→B are: A→B direct 15 km; A→C→B = 6 + 7 km. Which is shorter?

▶ Show solution

A→C→B = 13 km is shorter than the 15 km direct route.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 1 Chapter 6 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 7 Maths.
•A route map joins places by paths marked with distances.
•The shortest route is the one with the smallest total distance.
•A tetromino is four equal squares joined edge to edge.
•There are five basic tetrominoes: I, O, T, L and S.
•Tetrominoes can be rotated and flipped and can tile a region.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 3-6 marks across reasoning and activity questions

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Route map	1-2	1-2	Shortest route and totals
Tetromino	1-2	1-2	Identifying and drawing shapes
Reasoning	2	1	Spatial puzzle

Prep strategy

Always sum distances to compare routes
Draw all five tetrominoes from memory
Practise rotating and flipping shapes
Think step by step in puzzles

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Travel planning

Choosing the shortest or fastest route.

Games

Tetrominoes are the shapes in puzzle games like Tetris.

Logistics

Delivery and network planning use route maps.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Sum distances to pick the shortest route
Draw and label tetrominoes neatly
Treat rotations/flips as the same shape
Reason step by step

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Find the shortest route through four towns visiting each once.
Show which tetrominoes can tile a 4×4 grid.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 7 Term 1 ExamMedium

Logical Reasoning / OlympiadMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

List every possible path from the start to the destination, add up the distances along each one, and choose the path with the smallest total.

Because there are only five distinct ways to join four equal squares edge to edge; all other arrangements are just rotations or mirror images of these five.

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