Unit Plan: Two-Dimensional Shapes

Subject: Math - Geometry

Dates:
Introduce idea via calendar during the month of November.
Specific lessons taught: 11/27 - 11/30

Standards:
K.G. Geometry: Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons,
cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
K.G.1a Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
K.G.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Objective(s):
Students will name and identify the following two-dimensional shapes as a whole group:
squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Materials:
Listed below according to lesson plan

Lesson 1: Shape Introduction - Calendar

Pre-Assessment
Lesson 2: Introduction to Attributes (squares & triangles)
Lesson 3: More Attributes (rectangles and circles) & Environmental Shape Sort
Lesson 1: Shape Introduction

Dates: Month of November

Standards:
K.G. Geometry: Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons,
cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
K.G.1a Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
K.G.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Objective(s):
Students will name and identify the following two-dimensional shapes as a whole group:
squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Materials:
● This SMART board software is very similar to what we have incorporated into our
classroom calendar time:
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=aea0dbca-ca40-4576-9ac4-8d0546d11e
3b

Lesson:
Throughout the month of November, add a two-dimensional shape sort to the work done at
calendar time. Begin with the teacher identifying each shape and moving its name to match it,
then move to having the class call out the name of the shape together.

Reflection:
This was a great way to familiarize the students with these shapes (and their names) in a way
that allowed for long-term practice without taking a ton of time. With just a couple minutes of
work each day, the classes became very familiar with these shapes.
Lesson 2: Pre-assessment & Attributes (squares & triangles)

To be taught: 11/27 & 11/28

Standards:
K.G. Geometry: Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons,
cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
K.G.1a Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
K.G.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Objective(s):
Students will name and identify the following two-dimensional shapes: squares, circles,
triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Vocabulary:
● Attribute - something you can say a thing or person has
● Square - shape with 4 sides that are the same size, 4 corners
● Triangle - shape with 3 sides and 3 corners

Resources:
1. 2-D shapes pre-assessment:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mNRd_xAYH41QcDC-XaF59DOjupCS-3EI7VclBP
49XS4/edit?usp=sharing
2. Whiteboard (easel)
3. Chart paper
4. Crayons

Lesson:
1. Begin with the pre-assessment.
a. Meet at the carpet.
b. Introduce pre-assessment:
Today, we will be doing a shape hunt. On my paper, I have lots of different
shapes. To win my game, you have to be an absolutely amazing listener!
c. (Use a kiddo to demonstrate up front.)
When you get your paper, your job is to ​freeze​​ until you hear my directions.
When I say what shape to search for and what color to make it, your job is to find
those shapes on your paper, use nice kindergarten coloring to color them in, and
then give me a thumbs up to show me you found them all.
d. Head to tables - go through each of the five shapes.
Example directions: Find all the ​circles​​ and color them ​red​​.
2. When done, work goes in a basket and we meet at the carpet again.
 3. Introduce new word - attribute - something you can say a thing or person has.
(We use attributes to describe things or people.)
4. Model “attributes” with students on the carpet.
Bring a kiddo up front and model describing some of their attributes.
(He has blue eyes, she has curly hair, etc.)
5. Continue modeling until other students are naming attributes on their own.
6. Transition to attributes of shapes: Begin an anchor chart for attributes of shapes.
a. Triangle: 3 sides, 3 corners
b. Square: 4 sides, 4 corners, all sides are the same size
7. Wrap up: Name items in the room that are also either a square or a triangle, and say
why.

Reflection:
This was one of the best pre-assessments I’ve done yet. It was simple to lead, and it gave me
great data to work with moving forward. The only thing I would change about the
pre-assessment would be to add a right triangle in place of one or two of the other triangles so
they don’t all look the same, and to turn some of the shapes to lean in different directions.

Due to time constraints (the pre-assessment took awhile in both classes), I moved the second
half of the lesson (beginning the anchor chart) to the next lesson.

Data gathered:
Students scored a point by successfully coloring a shape. There were 15 shapes.

Frog class:
Score Total # of students

15 thirteen

11 - 14 six

6 - 10 four

0-5 one

Fish class:

Score Total # of students

15 sixteen

11-14 one
 6 - 10 one

0-5 two

Based on the data, it looks like most of the students are highly successful at identifying
two-dimensional shapes. However, there are still enough students (especially in the frog class)
who are only moderately successful that the data warrants continued practice with shapes. I will
just need to make sure I challenge the students who can already identify the basic versions of
the shapes without support.
Lesson 3: Shapes All Around Us

To be taught: 11/29 & 11/30

Standards:
K.G. Geometry: Identify and describe shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons,
cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
K.G.1a Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
K.G.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

Objective(s):
Students will name and identify the following two-dimensional shapes: squares, circles,
triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Vocabulary:
● Attribute - something you can say a thing or person has
● Square - shape with 4 sides that are the same size, 4 corners
● Triangle - shape with 3 sides and 3 corners
● Rectangle - shape with 4 corners, 2 long sides, and 2 short sides
● Circle - round shape with no sides and no corners
● Hexagon - shape with 6 sides & 6 corners

Resources:
● Anchor chart begun yesterday
● Environmental shapes picture sort:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dzj2ljmI0N1iVgYRkxxGdt2R7y9hSi7_eqy_8ADXV
so/edit?usp=sharing

Lesson:
1. Begin by reviewing:
a. Attribute - something you can say a thing or person has
(If this isn’t easily remembered, review by naming attributes of students.)
b. Attributes of a square & a triangle (on the chart).
2. Add two more shapes:
a. Rectangle - 4 corners, 2 long sides, 2 short sides
b. Circle - round shape with no sides or corners
3. Model practice activity - environmental shape sort
Directions: Sort pictures of real items based on their shape, then glue them on a mat.
4. Send students to their seats to complete the picture sort.
5. Wrap Up: Meet back at the carpet.
Discuss the shapes we sorted that were especially interesting and then extend by
discussing other places we see those shapes around us in the classroom.
Examples of student work:

Reflection:
The biggest change I would make to this lesson would be to adjust some of the pictures in the
shape sort. A couple were consistently confusing to the kids: the pyramid (triangle side but
rectangle background) and the ferris wheel (circle shape but rectangle background). I would
switch them out for other representations of the shape.

Data:
The fish class did slightly better. Eighteen students scored a 12-14 (highly successful), two
scored in the 7 - 11 range (moderately successful), and one scored below a 7 (unsuccessful).

The frog class also slightly improved from the pre-assessment. Fourteen students scored a 12 -
14, three scored a 7 - 11, and four scored below a 7. This shows me that while the students
without prior knowledge have improved a bit, they still need a lot of instruction about 2-D shapes
before they are ready to move on to 3-D shapes.
Notes:
Due to my student teaching placement ending on 11/30, I was unable to finish this unit. If I were
to continue teaching the unit, we would continue to approach learning about shapes through a
variety of ways. These ways would include: creating shapes (playdough, geo-boards), drawing
shapes, writing about shapes (using the anchor chart), reading books about shapes, creating art
with shapes, and eventually doing a shape hunt where the students would search for and record
where they saw shapes in the classroom.

I would wrap up with a post-assessment that was similar to my pre-assessment but fixed the
issues I noted in my reflection on it. Then, we would move on to 3-D shapes.