Lesson Overviews

Lesson #1: Revisiting Geometry from grade primary.

Specific Curriculum Outcome: Students will be expected to sort 3-D objects using a single attribute (Primary G01).

In this lesson learners will refresh their memory of what they already know about sorting familiar 3-D objects from grade primary. This will help learners to reactivate their prior knowledge with geometry and get them ready to be working with objects and shapes again in the right mode of thinking. This lesson will begin with a review video and team activity. During the team activity, you and the learners will work together to sort an assortment of 3-D objects presented to them by you. Once this team activity has been completed at least once, sort the objects and the learners will work together as whole to determine the sorting rule. Once sorting has been modelled for learners through the team activity, learners will be given the opportunity to complete a sorting task individually to demonstrate what they already know about sorting 3-D objects. This individual task will require learners to sort a variety of images of familiar 3-D objects and glue them into a sorting t-chart.

Lesson #2: 2D Shape Sort: Making the Rule

Specific Curriculum Outcome: GO1: Students will be expected to sort 3-D objects and 2-D shapes using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule. [C, CN, R, V]

During this lesson, learners will be given the opportunity to explore with 2-D shapes and sort them in any way they feel is necessary. Learners will be provided with a collection of 2-D shapes made from poster board. Working together in groups, students will find sets of shapes that are alike in some way. The 2-D shapes will be prepared in a way as to encourage learners to notice desired concepts. For instance, there will be four to five different examples of a three-sided shape to encourage students to notice the concept of triangles. Once learners have sorted some of the 2-D shapes into groups based on similarities they share, give learners the opportunity to indicate what they recognize to be common amongst the groups of shapes they created (sorting rule; indicator). This will allow for the labelling of concepts and proper names of shapes to take place without trying to define it formally. Without explicitly doing so, this will provide learners with some exposure to proper geometry terminology and concepts that will benefit them in their future learning experiences. Once learners have had an opportunity to complete this task, work together with the learners to create a sorted 2-D shape anchor chart on large white paper or pristol board displaying the concepts determined by the activity. Post the anchor chart somewhere in your home for learner reference.

Lesson #3: 2D Shape Sort: Finding the Rule

Specific Curriculum Outcome: GO1: Students will be expected to sort 3-D objects and 2-D shapes using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule. [C, CN, R, V]

This lesson will extend from the previous lesson. Provide Learners again with a the collection of 2-D poster board shapes. Before learners begin to group their shapes into similar sets, provide learners with a sorting rule. For instance, indicate to learners that their task is to group the shapes based on how may sides they have. This task can be completed multiple times by using different sorting rules. The lesson should then be extended into an activity that requires learners to determine what perhaps the sorting rule could be. Present learners with a collection of pre-sorted 2-D shapes, and working together, explore and determine a possible sorting rule. Allow learners to explain what sorting rule is being used to sort the shapes. As in lesson 2, this provides an opportunity to label concepts and proper names of shapes and allows learners to become more comfortable and familiar with proper geometry terminology. This lesson will also encourage learners to begin to make connections and recognize different relationships amongst different shapes.

Lesson #4: 3D Shape Sort

Specific Curriculum Outcome: GO1: Students will be expected to sort 3-D objects and 2-D shapes using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule. [C, CN, R, V]

Similar to lesson 2, learners will be presented with a collection of 3-D objects rather than 2-D shapes. These can be familiar objects found around your home or geometric solids purchased online. Learners will group the 3-D objects together based on similarities amongst the 3-D objects. Once learners have created their sets of similar 3-D objects, allow them to explain why they created the sets they did, indicating the similarities amongst the 3-D objects in each set (sorting rule). Again, this allows for the labelling of concepts and proper shape names to take place without formally doing so. This activity also encourages learners to explore and be exposed to the different properties of 3-D objects and shapes.

Lesson #5: Feel-It Match

Specific Curriculum Outcomes: GO: Students will describe the characteristics of 3-D objects and 2-D shapes and analyze the relationship among them.
GO1: Students will be expected to sort 3-D objects and 2-D shapes using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule. [C, CN, R, V]

This lesson will provide learners with the opportunity to explore the characteristics of 3-D objects and 2-D shapes. With two identically prepared collections of 3-D objects, place one collection on display in learners’ view and place the other collection out of learners' sight. Place one of the 3-D objects from the hidden collection into a box or a bag. Without looking, have learners feel the 3-D object that is in the box/bag and determine its match from the collection of 3-D objects that are on display. This will require learners to think about and analyze the characteristics of the different 3-D objects. This activity can be used as an opportunity to informally introduce the proper terminology for certain objects and shapes. This activity can be done the following day using 2-D shapes rather than 3-D objects.

Lesson #6: Geoboard Copy

Specific Curriculum Outcome: GO2: Students will be expected to replicate composite 2-D shapes and 3-D objects. [CN, PS, V]

GO3: Students will be expected to identify 2-D shapes in 3-D objects. [C, CN, V]

In this lesson learners will copy a 2-D shape, design, or pattern from a prepared card onto a geoboard. You and your learner can make your own geoboard by following this tutorial video on Youtube. The prepared cards will be made using dot paper to more accurately represent a geoboard and will later be presented on cards without dots. Once learners have become comfortable with this task, they can then begin to copy real shapes from their environment such as the shape of tables, chairs, or even letters from the alphabet. This activity will allow learners to explore their position in space perception, spatial relations perception, and space visualization skills, which are all vital skills to have when working with geometry. learners will also be given the opportunity to identify the names of the shapes that they recognize in the 2-D shapes, designs, and patterns that they copy onto their geoboards.

Lesson #9: Shape Hunt

Specific Curriculum Outcome: G03: Students will be expected to identify 2-D shapes in 3-D objects. [C, CN, V]

In this lesson learners will engage in a shape hunt. This can be done either in your home or outside. Learners will be given a prepared list of shapes to search for while outside (triangles, squares, circles, rectangles, etc). Learners can draw the object they find/see that represents a specific shape onto their lists. This lesson can be extended into the following day where learners can be asked to search for properties of shapes. Learners will be asked to search for things such as parallel lines (lines “going in the same direction”), curved surfaces or curved lines, two or more shapes that make another shape, circles inside each other (concentric), shapes with dents (concave) or without dents (convex), shapes used in a pattern, solids like a box, a cylinder, a pyramid, or a cone, similar shapes, or shapes that are symmetrical. This activity is a great way to allow learners to connect their learning to the real world and to see their learning as relevant and important.