1.6.D
The Standard
identify two-dimensional shapes, including circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares, as special rectangles, rhombuses, and hexagons and describe their attributes using formal geometric language
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify flat shapes by their defining features, not their color, size, or direction. They use words such as side, vertex, straight, curved, and equal length to describe and compare shapes.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students name shapes even when they are turned, stretched, or different sizes. They describe sides and vertices correctly and explain that a square is also a rectangle and a rhombus.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may call a turned square a diamond or think its name changes with orientation. They may sort shapes by size or color instead of sides, vertices, and side lengths.
How to Assess It
- Show a turned square, a non-square rectangle, a rhombus, and a hexagon. Ask students to name each shape and describe it using sides and vertices.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs craft sticks and clay to build triangles, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, and hexagons, then count each shape's sides and vertices.
Ask, "Is every square a rectangle?" Have students draw examples and explain their answer using side lengths and vertices.
Play Shape Detective by showing one clue at a time, such as six straight sides, while students choose and name the matching shape.
Take a classroom shape walk and record objects shaped like circles, triangles, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, or hexagons.
Keep exploring
Related Standards
- K.6.A
identify two-dimensional shapes, including circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares as special rectangles
- K.6.D
identify attributes of two-dimensional shapes using informal and formal geometric language interchangeably
- 1.6.C
create two-dimensional figures, including circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares, as special rectangles, rhombuses, and hexagons
- 1.6.A
classify and sort regular and irregular two-dimensional shapes based on attributes using informal geometric language
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.