Math lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 30 minutes
Name 3D shapes
Geometry
CCSS K.G.A.2CCSS K.G.A.3England: Reception ShapeEngland: Y1 Geometry
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Name 3D shapes.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Name 2D shapes
Leads to: Faces, edges and vertices of 3D shapes; Solid shapes that roll, stack or slide; Flat shapes on the faces of solids
Materials: Rulers and protractors, Squared or dotted paper, Shape cut-outs, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Name 2D shapes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a photo of a building, a tile pattern or a road sign and ask what shapes and angles students can spot.
- Share the objective: Name 3D shapes. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What 3D shape is a cereal box most like?
- Step 1: A cereal box is shaped like a cuboid.
- Answer: cuboid
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What 3D shape is a ball most like? (cuboid / cylinder / sphere / cube) → spherePrompt: Does it roll? Does it have flat faces?
- Which of these is a flat (2D) shape: rectangle, pyramid, sphere? (pyramid / sphere / rectangle) → rectanglePrompt: Flat shapes can be drawn on paper. Solid shapes can be picked up.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Which of these is a flat (2D) shape: cone, cylinder, square? (square / cone / cylinder) → squarePrompt: Flat shapes can be drawn on paper. Solid shapes can be picked up.
- What 3D shape is an ice-cream cone most like? (cylinder / sphere / cone / cube) → conePrompt: Does it roll? Does it have flat faces?
Watch out for
- Thinking a square turned on its corner is no longer a square.
- Reading the wrong scale on a protractor.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Name 2D shapes.
- Use concrete materials: rulers and protractors.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Faces, edges and vertices of 3D shapes; Solid shapes that roll, stack or slide; Flat shapes on the faces of solids.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder