Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify circles, squares, and triangles.
• Draw the three basic shapes.
• Find these shapes in the world around you.
• Describe the shapes using words like 'side', 'corner', and 'round'.

Lesson summary

Welcome, Grade R learners! This week, we're going on an exciting adventure to explore the world of shapes!

We'll be focusing on three special shapes: the circle, the square, and the triangle. Learning about shapes is important because shapes are everywhere around us. From the wheels on a taxi to the roof of your house, shapes help us understand and describe the world we live in. Knowing shapes helps us to sort things, build things, and even draw beautiful pictures! Being able to identify and describe shapes is a key skill that will help you throughout your school career and beyond.

Lesson notes

Let's dive into our three shapes: Circle: A circle is perfectly round. It has no corners and no straight sides. Imagine the sun in the sky, or a yummy plate of pap. These are circles! Think about rolling a ball – that's the magic of a circle! A circle can be big or small, but it's always round.

Example: Imagine a proudly South African Ndebele bracelet. The shape of the bracelet is a circle.

Square: A square has four sides, and all four sides are the same length. It also has four corners, and all the corners are pointy! Think of a window in your house or a tile on the floor. These are squares! A square looks like a box when you draw it flat on paper.

Example: A checkerboard used for playing chess or draughts is made up of many squares.

Triangle: A triangle has three sides and three corners. The sides of a triangle can be all the same length, or they can be different lengths. Think of a slice of watermelon or the roof of some houses. These are triangles!

Example: Many traditional Zulu shields have triangular shapes incorporated into their design. Why are these shapes important? Shapes help us understand the world. When you look at a building, you see squares and rectangles. When you look at a road sign, you might see a triangle. When you look at a soccer ball, you see circles and other shapes. Knowing shapes helps us describe and organize what we see.

How to draw the shapes: Circle: Start at one point, and then draw a round line that goes all the way back to where you started. It's like drawing a line that chases its own tail! You can use a round object like a plate or a cup to help you trace a circle.

Square: Draw one straight line. Then, draw another straight line the same length going straight down from one end of the first line. Then, draw another straight line the same length going to the left from the bottom of the second line. Finally, draw a straight line connecting the last two lines to make a box shape. Make sure all four lines are the same length!

Triangle: Draw one straight line. Then, draw another straight line that starts at one end of the first line but goes up at an angle. Finally, draw a straight line to connect the end of the second line back to the other end of the first line. This makes a shape with three sides!