Hands-on Shapes

Attributes

   In first grade, my son needed a little extra practice working with shape attributes.  Shape attributes are the characteristics of a shape like size, shape, color, number of edges or vertices, etc. 

Being a teacher, I immediately went to work creating fun ways to help him learn this concept.  First we drew and identified basic attributes like the number of edges and vertices, sides and corners, of both 2D and 3D shapes. 

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Delicious Polygons!

     Seeing a bag marshmallows on the counter my daughter decided to join in.  I don't blamer her because what better way to explore polygons than with sweet treats.  
   Using task cards as a guide,  my son and daughter built 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes.  It was through building that my kids were able to compare different shapes by the amount and location of the marshmallows and toothpicks.       

They happily cleaned their mess by eating all the marshmallows:)

3D Creativity

My favorite part of the unit was working on 3D tasks.  This included cutting out 3D shapes and assembling them.  With a shape in hand my son was better able to count the edges, vertices, and faces.  

Having worked so hard to construct each shape we decided to not let it go to waste and built our very own robots.  I suggest coloring the shapes before cutting them out otherwise the shapes get smashed in.   

Building Centers

To explore how shapes work together, I filled a box full of straws, pipe cleaners, and task cards. This resource gave them a chance design whatever combination of shapes they wanted.      

To make this center:

• Non-bendable straws, cut into thirds.
• Pipe cleaners, cut into fourths.
• Clear plastic tote to store your building materials.
• Shape cards as a visual to help them build. 

Attributes Unit

You can make your very own shape exploration unit or check out the one I've created.  Follow the link below to learn more.   

Click Picture

This unit includes workbooks, worksheets, tasks cards, centers, and more for both 2 & 3 dimensional shapes.  Visit my Teachers pay Teachers store for more fun ideas!  

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Sincerely,
Karen Delaney