Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Name circles, triangles, and squares.
• Sort shapes by their size and sides.
• Name balls and boxes.
• Know if objects can roll or slide.
• Build pictures using shapes.

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces Grade 1 learners to the wonderful world of shapes and objects. We will move from simply seeing things to understanding the basic geometric properties that define them. In South Africa, shapes are an integral part of our daily lives, from the circular base of a traditional rondavel to the rectangular shape of our national flag and the spherical shape of a soccer ball. By learning to identify, name, and describe shapes and objects, learners develop essential vocabulary and foundational skills for geometry. This topic also enhances spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and the ability to make sense of the world around them.

Lesson notes

This section explains the core ideas for our shape adventure. We will learn about two families of shapes: flat shapes and fat objects. 2D Shapes (Flat Shapes) 2D shapes are flat. You can draw them on a piece of paper, but you can't pick them up and hold them like a ball. They have sides and corners. Circle What is it? A circle is a perfectly round shape. It has no straight sides and no corners. It has one, continuous curved side.

How to remember: Think of things that roll smoothly. South African

Example: Look at a R5 coin. It's a perfect circle. The wheels on a minibus taxi are also circles. Without them, the taxi couldn't roll forward! Worked

Example:* Teacher holds up a paper circle and a paper square. "Which one is the circle? The round one! Watch me trace the side with my finger. It goes around and around and never stops at a corner. This is a circle." Triangle What is it? A triangle is a flat shape with three straight sides and three corners. The word 'tri' means three!

How to remember: Count the corners! If there are three, it's a triangle. South African

Example: The roof of many houses, including RDP houses, is shaped like a triangle to let the rain run off. A delicious samoosa is also folded into a triangle shape! Worked

Example:* Teacher draws a triangle on the board. "Let's count the sides together. One, two, three. Now let's count the corners. One, two, three. Three sides and three corners make a triangle!" Square What is it? A square is a special flat shape with four straight sides that are all the exact same length. It also has four corners.

How to remember: All four sides are friends; they are all the same size. South African

Example: A window pane in a classroom is often a square. The small blocks of chocolate in a bar of Cadbury's Top Deck are squares. Worked

Example:* Teacher shows two four-sided shapes: a square and a rectangle. "Look at these two shapes. This one is a square because this side, this side, this side, and this side are all the same length. This other one has two long sides and two short sides, so it's not a square." 3D Objects (Fat Objects) 3D objects are not flat. You can hold them in your hands. They take up space.

We will focus on two main types: those that can roll and those that can slide. Ball Shape (Sphere) What is it? A ball shape, or sphere, is perfectly round like a soccer ball. It has no flat surfaces and no corners.

Key Property: It can roll. South African

Example: A soccer ball used for playing 'diski' is a sphere. An orange or a naartjie you eat at break time is also a sphere. Worked

Example:* Teacher holds up a ball. "This is a ball shape. It is round all over. If I put it on the desk and give it a little push, what will it do? It will roll! Things that are round can roll." Box Shape (Cube / Rectangular Prism) What is it? A box shape has flat surfaces (called faces), straight edges, and corners. It looks like a box!

Key Property: It can slide. South African

Example: Your lunchbox is a box shape. A box of Ouma rusks is a box shape. The building blocks you play with are often box shapes. Worked

Example:* Teacher holds up a block or a small box. "This is a box shape. It has flat sides. If I put it on the desk and push it, will it roll? No! It will slide across the table. Things with flat bottoms can slide." Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: The teacher shows the class a picture with many different shapes mixed together (3 squares, 4 circles, 2 triangles). "Find and point to all the circles in this picture. How many circles can you count?" Solution 1: The teacher guides the learners to point to each circle. "Let's count them together. One, two, three, four! Well done! We know they are circles because they are round and have no corners. The other shapes are squares and triangles." Question 2: The teacher places a tennis ball and a book on the table. "Which one of these objects can roll? Which one can slide? Show me what happens when you push them." Solution 2: The teacher asks a learner to gently push the ball. It rolls. Then, the learner pushes the book. It slides. "Excellent! The ball rolls because it's a round ball shape. The book slides because it is a boxy shape with flat sides. It cannot roll." Question 3: The teacher draws a simple picture of a house on the board, using a large square for the main body, a large triangle for the roof, and a small circle for the sun. "I have built a house using shapes. What shapes did I use to draw my house and the sun?" Solution 3: The teacher points to each part. "For the big part of the house, I used a square. For the roof, I used a triangle. And for the bright sun in the sky, I used a circle. See how we can build things with simple shapes!" Independent Practice (Questions Only) Draw a big triangle and a small triangle next to it. Circle the shape that is a square. [Image shows a square, a circle, and a triangle]. Look around the classroom. Draw two things that have a circle shape.