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Year 2

Describe and name polygons, including triangles and quadrilaterals

I can recognise and describe polygons including triangles and quadrilaterals.

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New
New
Year 2

Describe and name polygons, including triangles and quadrilaterals

I can recognise and describe polygons including triangles and quadrilaterals.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The names of polygons are linked to the number of sides/vertices they have.
  2. A quadrilateral is any polygon with 4 sides.
  3. A triangle is any polygon with 3 sides.
  4. Squares and rectangles are quadrilaterals.

Common misconception

Children may mistake a 'triangle-like' shape for a triangle.

Provide opportunities to explore and handle cut-outs of triangles and triangle-like shapes. Describe and compare how the sides and corners feel. Touch the part of the shape that shows that it is not a triangle and explain how you know.

Keywords

  • Quadrilateral - A polygon with 4 sides and 4 vertices.

  • Rectangle - A polygon with 4 sides and 4 'square corners'.

  • Square - A polygon with 4 equal sides and 4 'square corners'.

  • Triangle - A polygon with 3 sides.

When children are sorting shapes into sets, they would benefit from having cut-outs of shapes, as although not strictly 2D, they will be able to handle them when deciding which set to place each in.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these shapes are polygons?
Correct answer: a
b
c
Correct answer: d
Q2.
Which of these shapes are not polygons?
Correct answer: a
b
Correct answer: c
d
Q3.
Which of the statements are true for all polygons?
Correct answer: They have sides that meet at vertices.
They are 3D shapes.
Correct answer: They have three or more straight sides.
Correct answer: They are 2D shapes.
Q4.
What is the same about all of these polygons?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: They all have 6 straight sides.
Correct answer: They all have 6 vertices.
They are all 3D shapes.
Q5.
This polygon has sides and vertices.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 12, twelve
Q6.
Which polygon should not be part of this set? Polygon .
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: c

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the name of the shape with its properties.
Correct Answer:triangles,have 3 vertices and 3 straight sides

have 3 vertices and 3 straight sides

Correct Answer:quadrilaterals,have 4 vertices and 4 straight sides

have 4 vertices and 4 straight sides

Q2.
Which of these shapes is not a triangle?
a
b
Correct answer: c
d
Q3.
Which of these shapes are quadrilaterals?
a
b
Correct answer: c
Correct answer: d
Q4.
Which shape should not be part of this set?
An image in a quiz
a
Correct answer: b
c
d
Q5.
This shape is a quadrilateral and also a .
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: square
Q6.
This shape is not a triangle because...
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: it does not have 3 straight sides.
it is a quadrilateral.
Correct answer: it does not have 3 vertices.