2-D shapes (age 7+)
Draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different orientations and describe them
What a learner can do afterwards
- Draw a triangle, rectangle, pentagon, or hexagon accurately
- Construct a cube or cuboid from modelling materials (e.g. straws and connectors)
- Recognise a 3-D shape (e.g. a pyramid) when it is rotated or seen from a different angle
The lesson
You already know shapes like squares, circles, and triangles. Now it's time to draw trickier ones, like pentagons and hexagons, and build real 3-D shapes with your own hands.
Leo wants to build a cube. He cuts twelve straws the same length for the edges, then pushes small balls of clay onto the ends to join them at each corner. When he is done, he has a real 3-D cube he can hold and turn.
A 3-D shape stays the same shape no matter which way you turn it. If a pyramid is standing up or lying on its side, it is still a pyramid. Look at its faces and corners, not just which way it is facing.
Draw shapes by counting their straight sides and corners, and build 3-D shapes by joining straight edges at each corner. Turning a shape never changes what it is.
Watch it
Where it sits
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.