On the 1st of February within Mathematics For Understanding, we learned about shape, particularly looking at 2D shapes and 3D objects. We studied and looked at the progression of how shape is used within teaching. For example, within early level when introducing shape into teaching children would investigate objects and shape. They could sort and describe and have the chance to be creative with the different shapes. This could then progress onto first level where individuals could explore and work with simple 3D objects. They could also identify and name various shapes and explain their main features. Lastly, for second level children are able to explore a wide range of 3D objects and can use mathematical language to describe the properties of the shapes.
When learning more about 2D shapes within learning, it is important that children are able to recognise and explain the examples of a particular type of shape. For example, it would be useful for children to know that a triangle has three sides and there are many different types of triangles, such as an Isosceles triangle which has 2 equal sides and 2 equal angles. Some other examples of very important triangles is the equilateral triangle which has 3 equal sides and 3 equal angles of 60 degrees. Within other 2D shapes such as Quadrilaterals and Polygons there are also various examples of roughly the same shapes.
We also learned that children have to know the difference between the area of a shape and a perimeter. This could be explained to children for perimeter as the distance all the way around the outside of the 2D shape. After understanding the definition, children then need to understand how you would work the perimeter out when working with shapes. An example of this would be – add up the lengths of all the sides. Therefore, the area of a 2D shape is the amount of space it covers. For children to be able to understand how to work out the area of a rectangle; they need to know to multiply it’s length (the longer side) by it’s width(the shorter side).
We also had an insight into three dimensional (3D) objects on this day. When teaching children about 3D objects, it would be beneficial to first of all explain that 3D shapes have faces which are also referred to as sides, edges and vertices also referred to as corners. . We thought about ways in which shape and 3D objects could be taught within the classroom and which resources we could use to do this. When identifying vertices in a 3D object within teaching, we could use straws, string, sweets or cocktail sticks to help identify the vertices. Also when identifying faces in a 3D object we could cut up cardboard shapes, use nets, or do printing with faces to enhance learning participation. The use of nets within education about shape is seen widely in schools today, as they show a flat arrangement of the faces of a 3 dimensional object. This could be cut out and folded to make the object.
At the end of the mathematics lesson, we worked in groups and made some 3D objects of our own with straws and play-do. This gave us insight into what we could include into class lessons about shape in the future and allowed us to visualise 3D objects in our heads more. It is important to understand shapes as it can get confusing categorising them all into their correct titles.
