Flat shapes

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Years 1 and 2 · Maths

Flat shapes: I can name flat shapes and count their sides.

1. Here are 4 flat shapes.

   Circle, triangle, square and rectangle.

   A square is a special rectangle.

   Picture: 4 shapes. 1: Circle: a circle. 2: Triangle: an equilateral triangle. 3: Square: a square. 4: Rectangle: a rectangle.

2. Sides are the straight lines round a shape.

   A triangle has 3 sides.

   Squares and rectangles have 4 sides.

   Picture: 3 shapes. 1: Triangle: an equilateral triangle with its 3 sides marked. 2: Square: a square with its 4 sides marked. 3: Rectangle: a rectangle with its 4 sides marked.

3. A corner is where two sides meet.

   Corners are also called vertices.

   A circle is round. It has no corners.

   Picture: 3 shapes. 1: Triangle: an equilateral triangle with its 3 vertices marked. 2: Rectangle: a rectangle with its 4 vertices marked. 3: Circle: a circle with its 0 vertices marked.

4. Your turn: Here is a triangle. How many sides does it have?

   Picture: A flat shape with 3 straight sides, all the same length.

   Type a number.

   Answer

   The answer: 3

   1, 2, 3. A triangle has 3 sides.

   Picture: An equilateral triangle with its 3 sides marked.

Words to know

side:

A straight line round the edge of a flat shape.

corner:

Where two sides meet. A corner is also called a vertex.

vertices:

More than one corner. One corner is a vertex.

line of symmetry:

A line that splits a shape into two matching halves.