Unit 6, Lesson 1
Identify and Sort Shapes
Grade 2
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
In previous grades, students identified, described, and compared two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Students learned that shapes have defining attributes and drew shapes that possessed these attributes.
In this lesson, students learn that they can identify a shape by the numbers of sides and corners. Students sort shapes into examples and nonexamples of triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons. They define triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, and hexagon, based on the numbers of sides and corners and use these terms to name shapes. Throughout the lesson, students have opportunities to think about how to clearly describe the attributes of shapes to others and consider the precision of their language (MP6). It is not necessary for students to use the term “vertices,” which are referred to as “corners” in this unit.
- Representation
None
- Comprehend (in written and spoken language) that the terms “quadrilateral,” “pentagon,” and “hexagon” refer to categories of shapes that are each defined by a number of straight sides and corners.
- Describe (orally) the attributes of triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons.
- Let’s sort and name shapes, based on their sides and corners.
Required Materials
Activity 2
Activity 3
Required Preparation
- Create a set of cards from the blackline master for each group of 2 students.
- Create a set of category name cards from the blackline master for each group of 2 students.
- Each group of 2 students needs the set of cards from the previous activity.
- Each group of 2 students needs a set of cards from the previous activity.
Teacher Reflection Questions
In grade 1, students learned to distinguish between attributes that define a shape and those that do not. How does this understanding help students classify shapes as quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons?