Year 2 · Mathematics · Space
Shapes and objects
Describing and sorting flat shapes and everyday objects such as boxes, balls and cans by their features, including faces, edges and whether they roll or stack.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to UK year groups by age (Year 1 is the year a child turns 6 in England). They are not mapped to the National Curriculum in England or the curricula of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check them against your own plans.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Describe and sort flat shapes by their sides and corners.
- Describe everyday objects such as boxes, balls and cans using faces, edges and corners.
- Test and explain whether objects roll, stack or slide.
Success looks like
- I can sort flat shapes and say how many sides and corners they have.
- I can point to the faces and edges of a box.
- I can tell you whether an object will roll or stack, and why.
The big idea
This lesson moves from flat shapes to objects we can hold. Flat shapes like squares and triangles have sides and corners. Objects like boxes and balls have faces, edges and corners.
Begin by sorting paper shapes. Ask your child to group them any way they like, then explain. They might sort by number of sides, by straight or curved, or by colour. Remind them that a triangle is still a triangle when it is turned or stretched.
Now pick up a cereal box. Run your hand over a flat face. Count the faces together: there are 6. Run a finger along an edge, where two faces meet. Point out the corners, where edges meet.
Look at a can. It has 2 flat faces (the top and bottom, which are circles) and 1 curved surface around the side. A ball has just one curved surface and no edges or corners.
Make a ramp with a big book. Test each object: does it roll, slide or stack? A ball rolls any way. A can rolls on its side but stacks when stood on its flat face. A box slides and stacks but does not roll.
Help your child connect what they see: curved surfaces let objects roll; flat faces let objects stack and slide.
- Flat shapes have sides and corners.
- Objects have faces, edges and corners.
- Curved surfaces roll; flat faces stack.
Worked examples
Counting the faces of a box
How many faces does a cereal box have?
- Put a finger on the front face and count 1.
- Turn the box and count the back (2), the top (3), the bottom (4) and the two sides (5, 6).
- Mark each face with a sticky note if it helps you not to count twice.
Answer: A cereal box has 6 faces.
Roll or stack?
Will a can of food roll, stack or do both?
- Lay the can on its side on the ramp. It rolls because the side is curved.
- Stand one can on its flat face and put another can on top. It stays, so cans stack.
- So a can does both, depending on which way it is placed.
Answer: A can rolls on its curved side and stacks on its flat faces.
Sorting flat shapes
Sort these shapes into two groups: circle, triangle, square, oval, rectangle.
- Choose a sorting rule: shapes with straight sides and shapes with curved edges.
- Straight sides: triangle, square, rectangle.
- Curved: circle, oval.
Answer: Straight sides: triangle, square, rectangle. Curved: circle, oval.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Which object will roll in any direction?
a ball — A ball is curved all over, so it rolls any way you push it.
How many faces does a box like a dice have?
6 — A dice has 6 flat faces, numbered 1 to 6.
Which object is easiest to stack in a tall pile?
boxes — Boxes have flat faces, so they sit firmly on top of each other.
What is an edge?
Where two faces of an object meet — An edge is the line where two faces meet, like the side of a box.
How many sides does a triangle have?
3 — A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
A can of food has two flat faces. What shape are they?
circles — The top and bottom of a can are circles.
Which object can both roll and stack?
a can — A can rolls on its curved side and stacks on its flat ends. A ball does not stack well and a book does not roll.
How many corners does a rectangle have?
4 — A rectangle has 4 sides and 4 corners.
Watch out for
- Mixing up flat shapes and objects (calling a ball a circle). Explain that a circle is flat like a drawing, but a ball is solid and you can hold it.
- Counting the same face twice. Use sticky notes or a dot of washable marker on each face as it is counted.
- Thinking objects only roll if they are round all over. Show that a can or a paper towel roll also rolls on its curved side.
Tips for parents
- Use the kitchen pantry as a shape lab: boxes, cans and jars are all different objects to explore.
- Let your child test ideas with the ramp rather than telling them the answer.
- Introduce the proper words (face, edge, corner) but accept everyday words while your child is learning.
Go further
- Build the tallest tower you can with household objects and talk about which ones worked best and why.
- Make a 'roll, slide or stack?' chart and test ten objects from around the house.
- Press objects into play dough and look at the flat shape each face leaves behind.
About 30 minutes
You'll need
- Paper cut-out shapes: circles, triangles, squares and rectangles
- Everyday objects: a cereal box, a ball, a can of food, a dice or block, a party hat or ice-cream cone
- A large book or board to make a ramp
- A sheet of paper and pencil for a sorting chart
Key words
- flat shape
- A shape you can draw on paper, such as a square or a circle.
- object
- A solid thing you can pick up, such as a box, ball or can.
- face
- A flat or curved surface of an object.
- edge
- The line where two faces of an object meet.
- roll
- To turn over and over along a surface.
- stack
- To pile objects on top of each other without them falling.
Still tricky?
For parents
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