Shapes and where things are
Maths · Key Stage 1 · The School
Flat and solid
2-D shapes are flat. Circle. Triangle. Square. Rectangle. Pentagon. Hexagon. 3-D shapes are solid. Cube. Cuboid. Sphere. Cylinder. Cone. Pyramid. A square is flat and a cube is solid. And a cube's faces are squares. Noticing that link is more useful than learning the two lists apart.
Describing a shape
Name a shape by what is TRUE of it. Do not name it by how it looks. A triangle has three straight sides and three corners. That holds whatever way up it is. It holds however stretched it is. A shape is not not-a-triangle just because it is upside down. For solids, count FACES, EDGES and VERTICES. A cube has 6, 12 and 8.
Where things are
Here are the position words. On. Under. Above. Below. Between. Next to. In front of. Behind. Now the direction words. Forwards. Backwards. Left. Right. And the turns: a QUARTER turn, a HALF turn, a THREE-QUARTER turn, a WHOLE turn. Each one is clockwise or anticlockwise. A program needs these words. So does a map. They matter well beyond this lesson.
Sit back to back with a partner. Describe a shape without naming it. It has four straight sides. All four sides are the same length. All four corners are right angles. Your partner draws a square. They get it right whichever way up they draw it. That is because every statement was about a PROPERTY. Now try saying it looks like a diamond. See how many different shapes come back. Properties travel. Appearances do not.