Lesson Plan: Describing Shapes

Kindergarten
Megan Kennedy

Standard:
o K.3.1.1 Recognize and sort basic
two and three-dimensional
shapes; use them to model real
world objects.

Content Objective:

Language Objective:

Students will explain their

mathematical thinking clearly while
they are analyzing, comparing, and
creating shapes. Students will be able
to complete a shape sorting worksheet
at 90% accuracy.

Students will learn new

mathematical terminology.
Examples: Alike, Angle, Corner,
Curve, Different, Same, Shape,
Side, Straight, Vertex.
Students will be able to verbally
describe, compare, and analyze
new pattern block shapes.

Materials:

Shape Cards
Anchor Chart
Patterned Blocks
Construction Paper
Glue Sticks
White Boards
White Board Markers
Shape Sorting Learning Center
Box
Shape Worksheet
Pencils

Instructional Plan:
o Display the shape cards for
children to see. Show card HH
and have them describe the
shape. Invite children to point to
the part they are describing. If
they cannot think of a word,
encourage them to show you
what they noticed about the
shape using their hands, bodies,

Getting Ready:
Teacher: Hocus Pocus
Students: Everybody Focus!
Teacher: Do you remember
when we introduced pattern
blocks yesterday?
Students: Yes!
Teacher: Lets review the names
of the shapes for practice. Lets
say them all together out loud.
Students: Triangle, square,

or gestures.
o As children share a list of
descriptive terms they use.
Create an anchor chart of terms
and pictures that students can
use in the future to describe
shapes in detail. Gradually you
can build from students natural
informal language to introduce
more formal terminology.
o Invite each student to look at a
shape card closely and describe it
to his or her partner. Encourage
them to refer to the list the class
created.
Discourse:
Conclude by having a few partnerships
show their shapes and share how the
characteristics of their shapes are
similar or different.

Evaluation: Observe if students can

describe, analyze, and compare
different shapes. Observe if students
can share differences and similarities
about their shapes and their partners. If
students can complete their shape
worksheet at 90% accuracy I will know
they comprehended the lesson.

rhombus, trapezoid, hexagon.

Teacher: Excellent!
Task:
(I Do)
Teacher: Kindergartners I want
you to quietly raise your hand and
describe this shape? This shape
doesnt look like the patterned
block shapes we described before,
this one is different.
(Create a list of terms and
pictures to model detailed
descriptions of the shapes.
Model detailed descriptions,
for example you might
comment that the shape is
round on one side but straight
here.)
Student: It has four sides!
Teacher: Thats right, this
particular shape has four sides.
Student: Those two sides are
bigger then the other sides.
Teacher: Yes! That is called an
angle. Can we all say that term
together?
Students: Angle!
(We Do)
Teacher: Im going to hand each
of you a card and I would like you
to look closely at your shape and
then describe it to a partner.
Remember to look at the chart we
created and use gestures to
explain parts of your shape if you
cant find the words to use.
(Model what a gesture is to the
class.)
Teacher: Consider questions like

does your shape cards remind you

of anything? Do you see anything
in our classroom that looks like
your shape? Please discuss with
your partner how your shape can
look the same or different to
theirs.
Teacher: Can I have volunteers
come up and share with the class
what they discovered?
Students: Both of our shapes
have three sides and both are
pointy. But this one has a curved
side and the other does not.
Teacher: Exactly! I like how you
both found similarities and
differences about your shapes.
Teacher: Kindergartners lets
stand up and stretch really quick.
Kiss your brain, turn your listening
ears on and put your thinking caps
on. Im going to model for you the
stations we are doing today.
Teacher:
The first station you are
going to participate in an art
project. You are going to
make mice out of different
shapes.
(Model and show a partially
completed mouse and
demonstrate how to glue the
circle as the body and the
triangle as the nose.)

At the second station you

will be looking around the
room and drawing the
shapes you see on your
white boards. Once you have
drawn two/three shapes,
share with your partner what
you drew and where you

found them in the

classroom.
At the third station you will
be participating in a activity
that includes shape sorting
from the learning center
box.

(Model how to use the shapelearning center).

The fourth station will be

filling out a shape worksheet
with me.

(Model filling out the

worksheet)
(You Do)
Teacher: Im going to assign the
hairy bear group to station 1. The
sleepy sheep to station 2. The fox
in socks group to station 3 and
quick chicks you will be with me at
station 4. Think we can do it?
Students: Yes we can!
Teacher: Ready set go!
(This time allow students to
independently find their
station and observe them start
to work. Stay close to the
quick chick group because
they may need some
assistance. Observe the time
and when to rotate to the next
station.)