Lesson 1

This warm-up prompts students to compare four images. It gives students a reason to use language precisely (MP6). It gives the teacher an opportunity to hear how students use geometric language and talk about characteristics of the items in comparison to one another. During the synthesis, ask students to explain the meaning of any terminology they use, such as square, cube, triangle, circle, flat, and solid.

• Groups of 2
• Display the image.
• “Pick one that doesn’t belong. Be ready to share why it doesn’t belong.”
• 1 minute: quiet think time

• “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
• 2–3 minutes: partner discussion
• Share and record responses.

• “Let’s find at least one reason why each one doesn’t belong.”
• “What are the names of the shapes?”
• “I heard someone say _____. What does that mean?”

The purpose of this activity is for students to sort cubes, cylinders, cones, and spheres, as well as other three-dimensional shapes including rectangular prisms and triangular prisms. Students describe the shapes with their own language. They may sort and classify shapes by attributes such as number of sides, number of corners, or whether shapes have corners or not. 

This activity uses MLR2 Collect and Display. Advances: conversing, reading, writing

• Each group of 2 students needs about 15 different geoblocks and solid shapes, including different-sized cubes, cylinders, cones, spheres, rectangular prisms, and triangular prisms. 

• Groups of 2
• Give each group about 15 geoblocks and solid shapes.
• Display a cylinder and a cone.
• “Think of one way that these shapes are the same and one way that they are different.” (The cone and cylinder roll. The cone has a point but the cylinder doesn't.)
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 1 minute: partner share
• Share and record responses.
• “Think about how all of the shapes are the same and different. Sort them with your partner. Explain how you sorted. Then sort in a different way.”

• 10 minutes: partner work time

MLR2 Collect and Display

• Circulate, listen for, and collect the language students use to describe and identify the shapes. Listen for: words such as flat, round, side, edge, corner, number of sides, names of two-dimensional shapes, and names of three-dimensional shapes. 
• Record students’ words and phrases on a visual display and update it throughout the lesson. 

If students find only one way to sort the shapes, display one shape and consider asking:

• “What do you notice about this shape?”
• “How could you sort your shapes using what you just noticed about this shape?”

• Invite students to share their sorts without telling how they sorted.
• “How do you think _____ sorted their solid shapes?”
• “Are there any other words or phrases that are important to include on our display?”
• As students share responses, update the display by adding (or replacing) language.
• Ask students to clarify the meaning of a word or phrase. 
• Remind students to borrow language from the display as needed.

The purpose of this activity is for students to identify three-dimensional shapes that they cannot see. Students use the attributes shared in the last activity to try to identify shapes by touch. Students are given a set of shapes so they can see and touch them in order to identify the shape in the bag. Students use their own language as they identify and describe the shapes, using words like corners, sides, edges, points, the number of sides, and names of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes learned in kindergarten. 

• Place one solid shape (sphere, cone, cylinder, cube, triangular prism, and rectangular prism) in each bag. Each group of 2 needs 1 bag.
• Consider making 1-2 more so there are extra bags if students finish a bag.
• The chart made during the previous activity should be displayed for all to see.

• Groups of 2
• Give each group access to the bags and one of each shape to look at.
• Display the chart from the previous activity, a rectangular prism, and a triangular prism.
• “What do you notice about each of these solid shapes?” (All the flat sides on this block are rectangles. Two of the sides on this block are triangles and the rest are rectangles.)
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 1 minute: partner discussion
• Share responses.

• “We’re going to play a game with our shapes. You will take a bag, and without looking at what is inside, each partner will feel the shape inside. After each partner has had a turn to feel the shape, take turns telling which shape you think it is and how you know. Use language from the chart to help describe the shape. Look in the bag to see which shape it is.”
• 8 minutes: partner work time

• “What helped you identify which shape was in the bag?” (Feeling flat sides or round sides. Feeling how many corners were on the shape. Feeling the shape of the sides.)