Cluster 1: Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres). (Additional Cluster)Archived

Score points by sorting 2D and 3D shapes into the correct basket as they fly by. Lose points if you answer incorrectly.

Type: Educational Game

Play the concentration game. Match the 2D shape to the correct name.

Type: Educational Game

In this game, learners use clues to identify mystery shapes. Use everyday objects (like from the pantry) as the shapes. It is important for learners to be able to describe a shape with correct math vocabulary and to be able to visualize a shape in their head.

Type: Educational Game

Students are asked to identify a triangle shown in two different orientations.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students name two-dimensional shapes given pictures on a worksheet.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given a variety of shapes and asked to find specific ones.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students describe the position of a sphere in relationship to other objects.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students compare a cube to a square face of the cube.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students determine if a globe and a circle are two-dimensional or three-dimensional and explain their reasoning.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to identify two spheres of different sizes.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students examine two photographs taken in a classroom and identify and name shapes they see.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students name two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes given manipulatives or pictures on a worksheet.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students examine two photographs taken in a classroom and identify and name shapes whose locations are described with words.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students examine a rectangle and a rectangular prism to discuss the similarities and differences.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students determine whether a shape is a circle, triangle, rectangle or square.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students compare the outline of the circular base of a cylinder to the cylinder itself.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students move a linking cube to different positions based on teacher instructions.

Type: Formative Assessment

In this integrated lesson plan, students are tasked with finding the Florida state flag by following directions from a partner who names the 2D or 3D shape it is hidden beneath. 

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the book Mouse Shapes as a springboard text, students will identify the main idea of the story and locate specific details to support the story. They will then use information in the story, attribute blocks, and discussion to identify a rectangle, its name, and its attributes.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is an introduction to 3-dimensional shapes. The lessons uses food to help students explore the attributes of those shapes. Then, of course, the students get to eat them!

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will discover the names of different two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and their attributes through activities such as playing "Hide and Seek" with shapes and playing "Hot and Cold" to find shapes in the classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students are asked to help create a desktop out of attribute blocks. They must choose the shape they will use to make the desk first based on number of sides and price. Then they must also take into account the strength of the desk.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

The students will identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles, ) regardless of their orientations or overall size by becoming detectives and going on a "hunt" to find the given shapes.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson uses an "I do, We do, You do" approach to identifying 2-D and 3-D shapes. The students will use sorting and searching to investigate the ways that shapes are alike and different. The students will also work whole group to collaborate and expand their understanding of the subject. This lesson is a great way to get students involved in their learning and to help foster a love of math. Included in the lesson is a Formative and Summative assessment to help monitor students' progress and understanding of the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

The lesson focus will be a kinesthetic approach to understanding relative positions in the environment. The lesson begins with a critical input experience, as students move around their surrounding, looking for shapes around them. Basic shapes include circle, square, triangle, rectangle. Students will explore shapes in the real world setting. As the lesson progresses, students will learn to describe the position of objects in relation to their own bodies using positional language such as: left/right, in front of/behind, apart and above/below. The lesson will be followed by guided instruction portion using hands-on manipulatives to transfer learned skills. The learning sequence will conclude with an informal assessment of student understanding.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a hands-on lesson that introduces and allows students to identify and build three-dimensional figures including rectangular prisms, square pyramids, and cubes. The students will also gain an understanding of what a vertex is, and how many vertices a given shape has.

Type: Lesson Plan

Integrating mathematics and literacy allows students to develop an understanding of the place of mathematics in their world. Students are introduced to the idea of shapes through a read-aloud session with an appropriate book. They then use models to learn the names of shapes, work together and individually to locate shapes in their real-world environment, practice spelling out the names of shapes they locate, and reflect in writing on the process. This lesson provides opportunities to engage students using many different learning modalities.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will go on a shape hunt in the classroom or designated area. During the shape hunt, students will find real-world objects that can be modeled by two- and three-dimensional figures. After the shape hunt, students will use Timed-Pair-Share to explain to peers what objects they found and their relative positions.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this MEA, students will sort recycling material based on the shape, name the shapes, and decide on what recycling bin would be the best for the city to choose. Students will write and draw a picture describing which recycling bin they chose.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will help Mr. Bob Fitness choose a piece of sports equipment for his new store. Students will work with three-dimensional shapes and determine a procedure in choosing the equipment.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn to sort and identify two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes in this carnival-themed interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Relative positions include up and down, top and bottom, over, on, and under, and above and below. Learn different types of up and down positions to rescue eight chicks in this farm-themed, interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Identify and name rectangles and squares based on their defining attributes, even if they have different sizes or positions. Join King Geo and his scout, Quad, as they search for rectangles and squares in this interactive tutorial. 

This is part of a series on the defining attributes of shapes. Click the links below.

• "The Search for Shapes: Tracking Triangles"
• The Search for Shapes: Recognizing Rectangles and Squares"

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Help find hexagons based on their defining attributes for King Geo in this interactive tutorial. Learn what makes a hexagon a hexagon.

This is part of a series on the defining attributes of shapes. Click the links below.

• "The Search for Shapes: Tracking Triangles"
• "The Search for Shapes: Recognizing Rectangles and Squares"
  
• "The Search for Shapes: Exploring Hexagons"

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Track down triangles based on their defining attributes for King Geo in this interactive tutorial.  Learn what makes a triangle a triangle.

This is part of a series on the defining attributes of shapes. Click the links below.

• "The Search for Shapes: Tracking Triangles"
• The Search for Shapes: Recognizing Rectangles and Squares"

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this lesson plan, students learn how to find shapes in their world using the children's book, A Triangle for Adaora by Ifeoma Onyefulu.

Type: Teaching Idea

This activity gives students practice drawing straight lines with a ruler and looking for and categorizing shapes, for example, by the number of sides in polygons. The Teachers' Notes page includes suggestions for implementation, discussion questions and ideas for extension.

Type: Teaching Idea

To give students opportunities to recognize, describe, build, and explore shapes in many different contexts.

Type: Teaching Idea

This upbeat music video reviews 3D shapes including the sphere, cylinder, cube, cone, and pyramid. As each 3D shape is presented, examples of things we see every day that have the same shape are also shown for reinforcement.

(Length: 3:02)

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This video features a sing-along song about shapes. The first half of this song is for preschoolers: circle, triangle, rectangle, square. The second half is for primary grade students: oval, diamond, heart, crescent, rhombus, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, and octagon.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This interactive game allows students to review math concepts, including shapes, shape names, addition, multiplication, negative numbers, and equivalent expressions.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This virtual manipulative allows you to create, color, enlarge, shrink, rotate, reflect, slice, and glue geometric shapes, such as: squares, triangles, rhombi, trapezoids and hexagons.

Type: Virtual Manipulative