Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g, sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
Measurement Topic
This standard is reported on the report card in these quarters as follows:
Kindergarten Students Learning Kindergarten Standards
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Report Card Measurement Topic: Reason about shapes and their attributes.
About the Math
Skills and concepts below are learning goals for this standard.
Build shapes from materials in my environment.
Draw shapes in my environment.
Shapes are all around us. We can make shapes in many different ways. Students should build shapes with different tools including marshmallows and toothpicks or sticks and clay. Students start with these concrete models and transition to drawing shapes. Students should draw shapes on dot or grid paper. Students who struggle with accuracy of shapes may need to use stencils or trace blocks first. It is a good idea to build a model then draw it. Eventually, students can draw without building models.
Common Misconceptions
Some students might think that the count word used to tag an item is permanently connected to that item. So when the item is used again for counting and should be tagged with a different count word, the student uses the original count word. For example, a student counts four geometric figures: triangle, square, circle and rectangle with the count words: one, two, three, four. If these items are rearranged as rectangle, triangle, circle and square and counted, the student says these count words: four, one, three, two.
Progression of Standard within Kindergarten
This progression informs how to develop the standard within the grade level. This progression is provided by HCPSS Elementary Mathematics.
These tasks can be used with small group or whole group instruction.
Supply students with pipe cleaners and have different objects that they can wrap the pipe cleaners around to make shape “frames.” Have students slides the "frames" off the objects to see what shape they made. Select objects that will create “frames” that are rectangles, squares, triangles, hexagons and/or circles. Ask students to predict what shape they think they will make with the shape "frame" before they begin.
Show students a shape, give them a few seconds to look at it, then cover it up and ask students to draw what they saw. Allow students to check their work at the end and make any changes. How did they know what to draw? How can they describe their shape? Are any shapes easier to draw than others?
Give students clay or playdough to make different shapes.
Put students into groups of two or three. Give them a tied loop (about 3ft untied) of yarn. Ask them to work together using their hands to make different shapes. Example - Two students could make the yarn loop into a square by holding onto the loop and pulling it into a shape with equal side lengths. What are all the shapes they can make? Were any shapes harder or easier to make?
Use small popsicle sticks and small amount of playdough to make three dimensional shapes. None of the shapes can use the same number of popsicle sticks. Describe your shapes.
Have students use 3 dimensional shapes to create replicas of different furniture in the classroom. (ie: chair with rectangular prisms and cylinders or 3 cubes, desk with rectangular prisms; etc.)
Have students create a picture with construction paper shapes. Have them put a folder up to separate them from a partner. Have the first student tell the other student what shapes to draw to recreate the picture they made.
SLIDE-BASED TASKS
These links are HCPSS created instructional tasks. These tasks are provided in Google slides.These tasks should be used for inspiration and resources, but instruction should start with students having the opportunity to engage with the math first(often involving physical and/or visual models) followed by discussion and explicit instruction to ensure student understanding.
These links provide instructional ideas connected to this standard.
Tasks From Print Resources
These publications have been provided for each school. They are typically stored in team closets or the media center. Check with your team leader if you cannot find them.
All kindergarten teams have been provided with the resources listed below.
Print Resources
Book Thumbnail
Title
Reference
Hands-On Standards published by: Learning Resources
Lesson 7, Geometric Pictures and Designs, p. 76
Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics by: John A. Van de Walle and Lou Ann H. Lovin
For further reading, see Chapter 7: Geometric Thinking and Geometric Concepts, p. 186-220.
Rich Tasks for Multiple Means of Engagement, Expression, and Representation (UDL)
There are many different materials that can be used to draw and build shapes from components.
Materials for two-dimensional shapes can include geoboards, electronic geoboards, paper geoboards, and various dot and grid papers.
Materials for three-dimensional shapes can include plastic coffee stirrers or pipe cleaners (cut to varying lengths), modeling clay, plastic drinking straws with flexible joints, rolled newspaper rods, and masking tape.
See Van de Walle and Lovin text (p. 199-200) for further explanation
Tasks Connected To Literature
Suggested titles to support the standard can be found below. Check your school library or Howard County Library System for availability, or purchase using Materials of Instruction (MOI) funds. When available, select links to view activities aligned to each title.
Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g, sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
Measurement Topic
The standard is reported on the report card through these measurement topics. Expand the measurement topic for a description of what students who meet expectation are able to do.
Kindergarten Students Learning Kindergarten Standards by Measurement Topic