Shapes are everywhere in the world around us, from rectangular doors to the circular wheels of a car. The second lesson in this series opens the eyes of young mathematicians to this wonderful world of shapes as they search the classroom,...

Sharpen your pencil and grab a ruler, it's time to draw some quadrilaterals! Given the definition of a parallelogram, rectangle, and rhombus, learners draw examples and nonexamples of each figure. The three definitions are...

Geometric shapes are really cool. Examine triangles, quadrilaterals, trapezoids, rhombuses, parallelograms, pentagons, and hexagons with your class. They draw large shapes and small shapes then compare them to understand their shapely...

Build on your learners' previous knowledge of geometric shapes and symmetrical figures. Then set them out to take photos of geometric shapes on campus. They assess whether the photos contain symmetry or not. 

Fifth graders demonstrate different types of lines using movement. In this line and movement lesson, 5th graders demonstrate parallel and perpendicular lines, and lines of symmetry using dance movement. They also demonstrate rhombus...

Shapes are so fun! Little ones explore, identify, and create shapes using tangrams or pattern blocks. The activity is intended to stimulate critical thinking while engaging learners through play and shape identification. Each child will...

Students visit a local lake refuge and identify shapes they find in nature. They take pictures of the various shapes and use KidPix to draw shapes around the shapes in the pictures. They watch a slideshow of all the shapes found by their...

Students study geometric shapes and practice naming them properly. In this geometry activity, students work in groups to give definitions of the vocabulary to each other in their own words. Students also visit a lower grade and teach...

It's amazing the complex figures that can be made using only a few simple shapes. Following a class reading of the children's book Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert, young mathematicians use sets of tangrams to create models...

Kindergartners listen to a story read by their teacher, then use magnetic shape pieces to construct simple designes. They "build" their own house using pre-cut paper shapes. This age-appropriate lesson would be an excellent choice for...

Geometric shapes are used in math and in art. Learners discuss the various names, dimensions, and attributes of geometric shapes, then apply that knowledge to design a vase. They use 3-D shapes to make a cubist-style vase out of clay.

Quadrilaterals can be quirky! Fourth graders use geoboards and bands to create four-sided figures. They analyze the attributes such as angle size and presence of parallel sides. As a result they learn to differentiate among...

Fourth graders use triangle paper to design patterns using geometric figures and find the areas of those figures by counting units. Students are assessed by determining which figure has the greatest area and explaining their reasoning.

Middle schoolers build a three-dimensional 12-pointed star as a geometric exercise. The shape is quite-difficult to construct. Luckily there is an excellent template that learners cut out, then use to make their pyramid. The second part...

Explore how lines of symmetry help define different categories of quadrilaterals. Looking at a square, rectangle, trapezoid, and parallelogram, young mathematicians discover that each shape has its own, unique symmetry. Encourage your...

Sort this resource into the Use pile. Scholars investigate attributes of quadrilaterals and then use the results to sort and classify the shapes labeling each figure with their properties to justify the classifications.

Second graders explore geometry by utilizing pattern blocks. In this shape identification lesson, 2nd graders view the characteristics for several different geometric shapes and create them using building blocks and other classroom...

Students investigate shapes. In this dimension and orientation of shapes lesson, students identify and color shapes, use shape stamps to form animals, glue shapes together to make other objects and describe how shapes are used.

Students compete in a scavenger hunt to find twenty-two different geometric shapes in natural objects around the school. They practice identification of each geometric shape using a handout then form small groups to search the school...

Third graders use various shapes to identify polygons and understand symmetry. They explore pattern blocks noticing their similarities and differences, then share with other team members. They draw 3 polygons in their journals and...

This collaborative activity investigates the meaning of a trapezoid and a parallelogram. It begins by presenting two different definitions of a trapezoid. Learners are to reason abstractly the difference between the two definitions and...

Second graders explore a bag of mixed pattern blocks. As a class they discuss different attributes of these shapes. In this math lesson, 2nd graders search to find shapes that are similar by placing shapes on top of one another to...

Students construct a variety of four-sided figures using a K'NEX Geometry Set. They view and discuss pictures of shapes, then in small groups they construct as many four-sided shapes as possible using the K'NEX Rods and Connectors. As a...

Second graders identify the attributes of various shapes and estimate the weight of the objects. In this geometry lesson, 2nd graders identify the attributes of concrete objects and use a pan balance to weight them.