Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2
Space and shape: more 2D shapes and 3D objects – Week 10 focus
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Space and shape: more 2D shapes and 3D objects – Week 10 focus
Download the Lessonotes Mobile South Africa app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Mathematics
Class: Grade 2
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 10
Theme: General lesson support
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This week, we dive into the exciting world of Space and Shape! We will explore the difference between flat shapes (2D shapes) and solid objects (3D objects). Understanding shapes is a fundamental part of mathematics that helps us describe and understand the world around us. In South Africa, we see shapes everywhere: the rectangular shape of our beautiful flag, the circular base of a traditional rondavel, the spherical shape of a soccer ball used in a community match, and the cube shape of a dice used to play games. This topic helps learners develop spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and a mathematical vocabulary to describe their environment.
This section explains the main ideas about 2D shapes and 3D objects that we will learn this week. What are 2D Shapes? 2D means 'two-dimensional'. A 2D shape is flat. You can draw it on a piece of paper, but you can't pick it up and hold it like a ball. 2D shapes have sides and corners.
Key 2D Shapes: Circle What it is: A perfectly round shape.
Properties: It has one, continuous curved side. It has no corners.
How to remember: Think of the sun or a R5 coin. It's round and smooth all the way around.
Example: The bottom of a drinking glass is a circle. If you dip it in paint and press it on paper, it makes a circle shape.* Triangle What it is: A shape with three straight sides.
Properties: It has 3 straight sides and 3 corners (vertices).
How to remember: 'Tri' means three. A tricycle has three wheels, and a triangle has three sides.
Example: A slice of pizza often has a triangle shape. The triangular 'yield' sign on the road tells drivers to be careful.* Square What it is: A shape with four equal straight sides.
Properties: It has 4 straight sides that are all the same length. It has 4 square corners.
How to remember: Think of a Marie biscuit or a window pane.
Example: Nomsa has a board game. The spaces she moves her token on are all squares.* Rectangle What it is: A shape with four straight sides and four square corners.
Properties: It has 4 straight sides and 4 square corners. The opposite sides are equal in length (two long sides and two short sides).
How to remember: A square is a special kind of rectangle where all sides are equal. Think of a door or the South African flag.
Example: Your maths workbook is a rectangle. It has two long sides and two shorter sides.* What are 3D Objects? 3D means 'three-dimensional'. A 3D object is solid, not flat. You can pick it up, hold it, and feel its different surfaces. 3D objects take up space.
Key 3D Objects: Cube What it is: A box-shaped object where all faces are squares.
Properties: It has 6 flat faces, and every face is a perfect square. It cannot roll.
How to remember: Think of a dice or a sugar cube.
Example: When you play a board game, the dice you roll is a cube.* Rectangular Prism (or Cuboid)
What it is: A box-shaped object.
Properties: It has 6 flat faces, and its faces are rectangles.
How to remember: Think of a box of Ouma rusks or a brick used to build a house.
Example: Your lunchbox is probably a rectangular prism. It keeps your sandwich safe!* Sphere What it is: A perfectly round ball.
Properties: It has only one curved surface. It has no flat faces and no corners. It can roll easily.
How to remember: Think of a soccer ball, a marble, or an orange.
Example: Sipho loves playing with his soccer ball at break time. His ball is a sphere.* Cylinder What it is: An object with two flat, circular ends and one curved side.
Properties: It has 2 flat, circular faces and 1 curved surface. It can roll on its curved side and slide on its flat faces.
How to remember: Think of a can of Koo beans or a toilet paper roll.
Example: Mama uses a can of pilchards to make supper. The can is a cylinder.* Pyramid What it is: An object with a flat base and triangular faces that meet at a single point at the top (called the apex).
Properties: It has one flat base and several triangular faces. It cannot roll.
How to remember: Think of the great pyramids in Egypt.
Example: Some fancy chocolates come in a box shaped like a pyramid.* Rolling and Sliding Objects with curved surfaces can roll. (e.g., sphere, cylinder) Objects with only flat surfaces can only slide. (e.g., cube, pyramid, rectangular prism) Some objects, like a cylinder, can do both! It rolls on its curved side and slides on its flat ends. Guided Practice (With Solutions)
Question 1: Look at the group of shapes below. Find and name the object that can roll. (Image shows a cube, a pyramid, and a sphere).
Solution: The object that can roll is the sphere (the ball shape).
Commentary: We know that objects with curved surfaces can roll. The cube and the pyramid only have flat surfaces and sharp corners, so they can only slide. The sphere is the only object with a completely curved surface, which allows it to roll easily in any direction.
Question 2: Thabo is holding a can of cool drink. He wants to describe it to his friend using maths words. What should he say?
Solution: Thabo should say his can of cool drink is a cylinder.
Commentary: He can describe its properties by saying it has two flat, circular faces (the top and the bottom) and one curved surface around the middle. Because of these properties, he can tell his friend it can roll on its side and slide on its flat ends.
Question 3: Sort these items from a shopping bag into two groups: 'Shapes with Straight Sides' and 'Shapes with a Round Side'.
Items: A Marie biscuit (square), a R5 coin (circle), a triangular sandwich, a ruler (rectangle).
Solution: Group 1: Shapes with Straight Sides: Marie biscuit (square), triangular sandwich (triangle), ruler (rectangle).