Shapes, position and turns – Year 1 maths lesson
Lesson 17 of 18 in the Year 1 maths course
UK version. UK school years, UK spelling and pounds (£). · US Math Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for Year 1 (ages 5–6) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is marked straight away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 15 min homework
- Year
- Year 1 (ages 5–6)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Marked
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is marked straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to mark anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Is a square still a square when you turn it on its corner? How do you know?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Thinking a shape changes its name when it is turned. Turn the shape round: count the sides again – still the same shape.
- Mixing up a square and a cube. Ask: is it flat (2-D) or solid (3-D)?
Tip for home: Spot shapes in the kitchen and describe where things are using position words.
What your child will learn
We are learning to name and describe 2-D and 3-D shapes, and describe position and turns.
Success looks like
- I can name 2-D and 3-D shapes.
- I can count sides, faces and vertices.
- I can describe position and turns.
Key words
- side
- a straight edge of a flat shape
- vertex
- a corner (more than one: vertices)
- face
- a flat surface of a solid shape
- quarter turn
- a turn through one right angle
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Go on a shape hunt at home: find cubes, cylinders, spheres and flat shapes. Give directions to move a toy: forward 3, quarter turn right.
The big ideas (for the adult)
2-D shapes are flat. Count their sides and corners (vertices) to name them: a triangle has 3 sides, a pentagon 5.
3-D shapes are solid. They have faces, edges and vertices: a cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices.
Position words say where something is: above, below, next to. A quarter turn is a right angle; turns go clockwise or anticlockwise.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Marked by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, marked by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Marked by Classfern |
| Plenary and exit ticket | 6 min | Marked by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are marked by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all marked instantly.
More practice
More Year 1 maths lessons
- Counting objects
- Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s
- One more, one less, ten more and ten less
- Tens and ones
- Numbers in words
- Comparing numbers
- Number lines
- Number bonds to 10 and 20
- Adding and subtracting
- The equals sign and missing numbers
- Adding and subtracting word problems
- Multiplication and division
- Recognising fractions
- Counting money
- Telling the time
- Measuring length, mass and capacity
- Tally charts, pictograms and block diagrams
Curriculum
National Curriculum for England, Year 1: “2-D shapes [for example, rectangles (including squares), circles and triangles]”
National Curriculum for England, Year 1: “3-D shapes [for example, cuboids (including cubes), pyramids and spheres]”
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.