Identify shapes as 2D or 3D

Students will classify shapes as two-dimensional (flat) or three-dimensional (solid), understanding the difference between flat shapes you can draw and solid shapes that take up space.

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Kindergarten · Identifying and Naming Shapes · question 1 of 3

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12 rungs. A star at the top.

Tap the flat shape.

How it is taught

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Flat shapes are 2D.

Solid shapes are 3D.

Read it: Flat or solid

The square lies flat, like a drawing. The cube, the ball and the can are solids: you can pick them up.

Look at each shape.
A flat shape lies flat, like a drawing.
A solid you can pick up and hold.

Flat shapes are drawn on paper.

Solids take up space, like a box or a ball.

A cube drawn on a page is still a solid: it shows a box you can hold.

Flat shapes lie flat. Solids you can hold.

Calling the drawn cube flat because it is on a page.

It shows a box you can hold, so it is a solid.

A circle, a cube and a ball. How many are solid? — 2. You can pick up the cube and the ball: 2 solids. The circle lies flat.

Circle vs Ball

Some shapes are flat, like a drawing on paper. Other shapes are solid, like things we can hold. Let's compare two of them!

First, look at this circle. We drew it right on our whiteboard.

A circle is flat. It has no inside to hold — only a front we can see.

We call flat shapes two-dee, or 2D!

Now look at this ball.

Kindergarten · Flat shapes vs solid shapes

A ball is solid. We can hold it in our hands, roll it, and bounce it.

We call solid shapes three-dee, or 3D!

See the difference? The circle is flat — that's 2D. The ball is solid — that's 3D.

Flat shapes are 2D. Solid shapes are 3D. You did it!

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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