Shape Names - DREME For Teachers

If some of your students are already recognizing and naming familiar (e.g., circle, square, triangle, rectangle) and less familiar (e.g., hexagon, trapezoid) shapes, you may want to instead preview the Parts of Shapes version of the activity. If most of your children are naming all shapes and are also able to describe shapes based on their defining features (how many sides and angles most shapes have), you may want to instead preview the Shape Properties & Attributes version.

Materials

Painter’s tape or sidewalk chalk
Sample shape layout
Sample rules to read to students to tell them where to jump
White board and marker (optional)
Don’t Burn Your Feat activity step icon cards

Teacher Resources

Shape glossary with sample language to use when describing shapes to children; also features additional shape examples and non-examples.

Explore the Executive Function and Math Skills in This Activity

Steps Of The activity

The activity steps icons below outline the steps of the activity. Print these icons as cards and share them to help children remember the steps. They’re also a helpful scaffold for children!

Find a sample script for teachers to use here.

Step 1

Teacher states a rule indicating which shapes are “safe” to jump on.

Step 2

Children jump on a shape based on the rule.

Step 3

Teacher checks children’s chosen shapes.

Step 4

Teacher states another rule and repeats steps 1-3.

Instructions

Instructions for introducing the activity to the Whole Group .

Activity Set-Up
	Outline or draw shapes on the floor or ground ahead of time, using the sample shape layout handout for shape ideas based on children’s knowledge of shapes. We recommend including a minimum of 10 shapes, with one per child if you have more than 10 children in your group. Adjust the Challenge MAKE IT EASIER Math: Use familiar shapes (such as circles, triangles, squares, rectangles) or use only easier examples and non-examples (for example, triangles vs. circles and squares) for shapes. MAKE IT HARDER Math: Use less familiar shapes (such as hexagons, trapezoids) or use more challenging examples and non-examples.
Activity Warm-Up
Let’s practice some shapes! Ready… here we go!	Show examples of shapes you will be using during the activity (for example, with drawings on a white board) and name the shapes that will be included in the activity. If you’re introducing new shapes to children, consider using the shape glossary handout for language, tips, and examples.
Introduce the Activity
We’re going to pretend that our classroom floor (or playground if outside) and some of these shapes are hot lava! So you don’t burn your feet, you have to jump (step) on the safe shapes. I will tell you which shapes are safe, and you will jump on those shapes so you don’t burn your feet!
Model the Activity
	Choose two to three children to help demonstrate the activity.
[Shape name] are the safe shapes! Jump on all the shapes that are [shape name] so you don’t burn your feet!* *shape name will come from the rules handout	Give a rule for children to jump on a particular shape. Use the suggested rules handout for recommended rule ideas based on children’s knowledge of shapes. Children respond by jumping on the appropriate shapes. There may be more than one child on each shape. If, after children choose a shape, there are still shapes available that fit the rule, encourage some children to find another shape. Adjust the Challenge MAKE IT EASIER EF: Before jumping, have children point to which shape(s) they will jump on and which will “burn their feet.” Math: Draw or show and name additional examples of the target shape. Math & EF: On a white board, draw a few examples of shapes to jump on (that fit the rule) and some to avoid jumping on (that don’t fit the rule) and have children tell you whether or not the drawn shapes fit the description. Refer to the shape glossary handout for specific shape ideas. You can also use Stop and Go cards to separate “planning” time (when children state the rule) from “action” time (when children start to move to the shapes). Hold up the red stop card while children plan their next move to their next shape, and hold up the green card to cue children to move. MAKE IT HARDER EF: In addition to giving a rule about what shape to jump on, tell children to move in a certain way (for example, Tiptoe to the circles or Hop on the squares). To keep the children who are not in the activity engaged, ask them to make sure the children jumping are jumping on the correct shapes, and encourage them to tell them if they are. Math: Challenge children to explain exactly why the shape they chose is an example of that kind of the shape by describing or naming some of the attributes of the shape class (for example, I know it’s a triangle because it has three sides.)
	Continue with different groups of children and different shape rules until all children have had a turn or as time allows.

Summary of Activity Adaptations

This is a summary of all the available adaptations to make Don’t Burn Your Feet easier or harder to accommodate the needs of your students. Whether the adaptation is easier or harder depends on each student’s math or executive function (EF) skills.

Explore The Executive Function And Math Skills In This Activity

Executive Function Skills

Math Learning Trajectories

2D shapes levels

What to do next

On another day, do this activity in Small Group .

Are some students ready for more challenge? Try the adaptations provided for Whole Group. For children who can recognize and name most shapes, introduce the Parts of Shapes version.

If some of your students are already recognizing and naming familiar (e.g., circle, square, triangle, rectangle) and less familiar (e.g., hexagon, trapezoid) shapes, they might be ready for the Parts of Shapes version. If most of your children are naming all shapes and are also able to describe shapes based on their defining features (how many sides and angles most shapes have), they might be ready for the Shape Properties & Attributes version.