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Build and Draw Shapes with Given Defining Attributes

Students will build shapes using materials (e.g., straws, geoboards) and draw shapes on paper to match a specific set of defining attributes. Students demonstrate understanding that shapes can vary in size and orientation while maintaining their defining features.

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Build and Draw Shapes with Given Defining Attributes

Grade 1 · Geometry: Shapes and Their Attributes · question 1 of 3

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12 rungs. A star at the top.

Count the sides.

How it is taught

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A polygon has straight sides that close.

Four sides and four corners make a quadrilateral.

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Read it: Count sides after a turn

A triangle sits on the page. Turn it, and it looks new. Look at the 3 sides.

  1. Count the sides of the turned shape: 1, 2, 3.
  2. Count the corners the same way: 1, 2, 3.
  3. Name it a triangle: 3 sides, 3 corners.

Turning a triangle does not add or take away a side, so the count stays 3.

The pointy look of a corner is still a corner after a turn; you still have 3 of them.

If you only go by how it sits on the page, a turned triangle can look like a different shape — counting sides undoes that.

Count the sides and the corners: a turn does not change the name.

Thinking a triangle pointing a new way is a new shape, because it no longer sits on a flat side.

Count the 3 sides and 3 corners. The name stays triangle.

A flat shape has 5 sides. It sits turned on 1 point. What is it called? — pentagon. Turning a shape moves it; it does not rename it. 5 sides make it a pentagon.

Draw a triangle (3 straight sides, 3 corners)

Today we'll draw a shape using just its rules — what we call its defining attributes.

Our rules say the shape needs three straight sides and three corners.

Let's draw the first straight side along the bottom.

Now a second straight side, going up to a point.

And a third side back to the start. Our shape is closed!

Let's count the sides — one, two, three. All straight!

Now count the corners — one, two, three corners!

Three straight sides and three corners — that's a triangle!

Grade 1 · Drawing a shape from its rules

What if we draw a smaller one? Still three sides, still three corners — still a triangle!

What if we turn it on its side? Still a triangle!

Any shape with three straight sides and three corners is a triangle — no matter the size or which way it points!

Now you try. Count the corners of this triangle. How many corners?

What you see

While they climb, your page writes one true line to ask about tonight, and a short note each Sunday.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics
Did you know?

A chessboard has 64 squares — share them out between the 8 rows and each row holds exactly 8.

Today’s goal
1 star — one skill mastered, every rung of its ladder climbed
Climbing now
Divide within 100

An example student.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Maya earned 2 stars this week — Interpret multiplication as equal groups, which took 6 answers over 3 days before its star landed 3 days ago and Multiply by 6, 7, 8 and 9. Next up: Divide within 100.

An example week.

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