Attributes of Shapes Lesson Plan
Learner and Environmental Factors
Grade Level: 2nd
Content Area: Math
Standards: Strand: Geometry
Box Sub Heading: Reason with shapes and their attributes
Standard: 2.G.1 Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number
of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons,
hexagons, and cubes.
Lesson Performance Objective(s): Students will be able to recognize the different attributes of
2d shapes. They will do so by having 80% of their booklet done correctly.
Materials: TV, Computer, ELMO projector, Pencil, cut out large and small variety of shapes to
use as manipulative, Shapes Have Attributes booklet (1 per each student *20)
Background Knowledge Required: Counting to 1-10, identifying shapes names
Student Grouping(s): Whole Group at the carpet, Independent work at their desks
Anticipatory Set and Purpose: (The HOOK) Have the Shapes Have Attributes booklet
projecting on the TV when students return from specials (11:30)
Introduce the Lesson:
-Please come sit quietly on the carpet. *Wait for kids to sit down and eyes on the TV.
Today we are going to learn about the different shapes and their attributes. Does anyone
want to take a guess on what an attribute is? A type of shape, A different word for
describing a shape
Instruction:
Stage 1: -Those are all great guesses and you are on the right track. Attributes are things that
shapes have that describe them. Sort of like the adjective of a shape. What is something we could
look at about this shape and describe it? It has 4 sides, it is big, it is red
-You are correct. How big a shape is, the amount of sides it has, the color of the shapes, and the
vertices of the shape do describe the attributes of that shape. One example of an attribute in a
shape would be vertices of that shape. The vertices are where two sides come together on a
shape; we usually call them the corners of the shapes. Lets look at this shape here *grabs large
trapezoid. How many vertices or corners does it have? 4, How many sides? 4. Great job. So if I
was grouping my shapes by different attributes, or by different ways to describe them what
would be one way I could group this square and this trapezoid? By the same number of sides /
corners, by color
*Flips projected booklet to third page
-Here we have 9 different shapes that we have all seen before. Lets look at the first shape, a
circle. How many vertices are there with a circle? Zero, Yes! Why zero? Because circles have
zero sides
-*Points to rectangle, what shape is this? Rectangle. How many sides does the rectangle have?
Four. If there are four sides, lets count the vertices, our corners, of the rectangle. *Class counts
aloud together and recognizes 4 vertices are in a rectangle. What is different between the circle
and the rectangle? The amount of sides, the shape itself, the vertices/corners
Stage 2: -*Turn to page 5, on this page we are recognizing the different sizes of the shapes, and
categorizing the shapes into what all 3 of the shapes might be. Lets first count the vertices of
each of these 3 shapes. *Class counts together, notices that all 3 shapes are circles and they have
no sides, therefore no vertices. We move to the next line of 3 shapes, and the class notices that
they are squares. We then count the sides of the squares and recognize there are 4 sides. Next we
count together aloud the number of corners there are. The class recognizes there are also 4
corners, and I ask “What is another word for corners?” Vertices
*Please form a straight line in front of me and pick up your own Shapes Have Attributes booklet,
then return to your seat *Students get their booklet
Stage 3: -Once you get to your seat please get out your pencil, and 3 crayons. No markers or
colored pencils.
-You are now going to complete the booklet on your own. The directions are at the top of each
page, allowing you to know what attribute you are describing with the shapes on that page. I will
be walking around to help if you need it, please raise your hand.
-You can help your table group as well if you wish by reading the directions together for each
new page.
Differentiation
-Have students read directions as table groups, and help as table groups, to ensure the students
understand what to do on each page in their booklet.
-Walk around and assist those students I know might struggle with reading.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal questions answered during whole group/discussion class, assess their Shape Attributes
booklet, students have 80% or more correct in their completed booklet
Closure: Great job working today on understanding the different attributes of shapes. It is a life
skill to be able to notice these different attributes of a shape, and will be a great skill to show
your parents when you pass different shapes such as road signs, and being able to show them you
know the different attributes of real life shape examples.
Citation: -Shapes have Attributes lesson came from cooperating teacher
N. Evans, personal communication, February 22, 2018.
