Shape Spotto

The following geometry task is an early primary enabling task for teaching shape recognition, scaffolding an excellent foundation level investigative opportunity for children who have some introductory knowledge to basic shape identification.

The Activity

Start with a walk around the environment – this could be inside the classroom, or school yard (or watch a short film) – and identify the (name for basic shapes) shapes: square, triangle and rectangle. Make a note of these shapes (draw pictures, or write them down)
Make a list of the shapes you found in your hunt. Use a chart to document your findings:

Number of players:
Any

Materials:

Piece of paper
Pencil/pen
*optional use ipads for recording and/or photographing shapes

Example Findings

In the Classroom

Rectangles/squares (whiteboard, erasor, windows), circles (door knob, light fitting), Triangles (roof structure, furniture)

Outside

Rectangles/squares (buildings, signs, tables), circles (centre of basketball court, basketball hoop), Triangles (roof, bicycle frame, give way sign), all shapes (shadows!)

On the Screen

Teacher should skim through the film prior to lesson to identify some shapes to assist with prompting where required

Extending prompts

Note how many sides/corners each shape has.
Further enabling scaffolding may be provided to students who struggle to read, write or draw by giving those students a card prepared with visual labels of basic shapes and asking those students to count the number of times they can find each shape in the given environment (classroom or school yard). This enables all children to engage in the core content of the activity, identification of shapes.

Relevance to 21st Century Learning

Collaboration

Depending on the class (number of students, how they respond to group activity) this activity could be carried out in pairs, threes or even as a whole class activity with more direct instruction if necessary. In all of these situations, students should be given the opportunity to question and discuss their findings.

Communication

The data representation of this task may be modified to be communicated digitally (ipads with pre made forms), orally (discussion or reporting on findings), as well as the traditional recording of written results.

Critical Thinking

Students will begin to notice and identify familiar shapes in every-day objects that they interact with regularly. With geometry surrounding us in the built and natural environments, this activity can enable children to begin to connect their developing understanding of geometry to the real world very early in their learning journey. This can serve as a precursor to future inquisition in geometric understanding such as ‘why’ real world objects are shaped the way they are.

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