Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R
Space and shape: basic 2D shapes (circle, square, triangle) – Week 10 focus
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Space and shape: basic 2D shapes (circle, square, triangle) – Week 10 focus
Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Mathematics
Class: Grade R
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 10
Theme: General lesson support
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Overview This lesson introduces Grade R learners to the foundational concepts of 2D shapes, specifically focusing on the circle, square, and triangle. Understanding shapes is a critical building block for geometry and spatial reasoning. For young South African learners, this topic is immediately relevant as shapes are abundant in their environment. From the circular shape of a R5 coin or a pap pot lid, to the square windows of an RDP house or a taxi, and the triangular pattern in Ndebele art or a samosa, shapes form the visual language of their world.
What are 2D Shapes? 2D stands for 'two-dimensional'. These are flat shapes that you can draw on a piece of paper. They have length and width, but no thickness. Think of it like a shadow on the ground – it's flat! We are going to learn about three special flat shapes.
The Circle (Isangqa)
What it looks like: A circle is perfectly round.
Properties: It has no straight sides and no corners. It has one curved edge that goes all the way around.
How to remember: Think of things that can roll, like a ball or a car wheel. A circle is like the flat drawing of that wheel. South African
Examples: Example 1: A R5 Coin. If you trace around a R5 coin, you draw a perfect circle.
Example 2: A Minibus Taxi Wheel. The shape of the wheel is a circle. It needs to be round to roll smoothly on the road.
Example 3: The Sun. When we draw the sun in a picture, we usually start with a big circle.
The Square (Isikwere)
What it looks like: A square is a shape with four straight sides.
Properties: It has four straight sides that are all exactly the same length. It also has four corners (we can call them pointy bits).
How to remember: Think of a perfect box. All the sides are the same. South African
Examples: Example 1: A Window Pane. Many houses, especially RDP houses, have square windows. Each of the four sides is the same length.
Example 2: A Slice of 'Government' Bread. A slice of bread is often shaped like a square.
Example 3: Floor Tiles. The tiles in the classroom or kitchen are often squares placed next to each other. The Triangle (Unxantathu)
What it looks like: A triangle is a shape with three straight sides.
Properties: It has three straight sides and three corners. The sides can be different lengths, but there are always three of them.
How to remember: The word "tri" means three. A tricycle has three wheels, and a triangle has three sides. South African
Examples: Example 1: A Yield Road Sign. When you are in a car, you might see a red and white sign that is an upside-down triangle. This tells the driver to be careful and yield.
Example 2: A Samosa. This tasty snack is folded into the shape of a triangle.
Example 3: The Roof of a House. In children's drawings, the roof of a house is almost always shown as a triangle sitting on top of a square. Guided Practice (With Solutions)
Question 1: The Shape Bag Activity: The teacher has a bag filled with cardboard cut-outs of circles, squares, and triangles of different sizes and colours. The teacher asks a learner to pull out one shape without looking.
Teacher: "Sipho, put your hand in the bag and pull out one shape. Hold it up for everyone to see. What shape is it? How do you know?" Worked Solution: Sipho pulls out a square. He holds it up.
Teacher: "That's right, it's a square! How can we be sure? Let's count the sides together. One, two, three, four. It has four sides. And let's count the corners. One, two, three, four. It has four corners. It's a square!" Question 2: Shape Drawing in the Sand/Mealie Meal Tray Activity: Each learner has a small tray with sand or mealie meal. The teacher gives an instruction.
Teacher: "Listen carefully. With your finger, draw a shape that has no corners and is perfectly round. What shape did you draw?" Worked Solution: Learners should draw a circle in their trays.
Teacher: "Fantastic! You have all drawn a circle. I can see it is round and has no corners. Now, let's draw a shape with three sides and three corners." Learners should draw a triangle. The teacher walks around and helps learners who are struggling, guiding their finger to form the three points.
Question 3: Sorting Mat Activity: The teacher provides a mat divided into three sections, with a large circle drawn in one, a square in another, and a triangle in the third. Learners are given a pile of mixed plastic shapes.
Teacher: "Let's be shape detectives! Take your shapes and put each one in its correct home on the mat. All the round ones go in the circle's home." Worked Solution: The teacher observes and guides. For example, if a learner places a triangle in the square section, the teacher can ask: "Let's look at this shape. Count its sides with me. One, two, three. It has three sides. Now let's look at the home you put it in. The shape in this home has four sides. Does it match? Let's find the home with a three-sided shape." The final result is a mat with all circles in the circle section, all squares in the square section, and all triangles in the triangle section. Independent Practice (Questions Only)
Worksheet 1: Shape Colouring: You have a page with many different shapes. Colour all the circles red. Colour all the squares blue. Colour all the triangles green.
Drawing Task: On a blank piece of paper, draw a picture of a house using at least one square and one triangle.
Playdough Creation: Use the playdough at your table to make two circles, two squares, and two triangles.