Look around you. The lid of a jar, the bedroom door, a slice of pizza, the road sign: each one resembles a geometric shape.

Flat shapes and non-planar shapes

A shape is flat when it fits entirely on a sheet of paper, without “bulk”. A drawing in the notebook, the shadow of an object and the outline of a coin are flat shapes.

A shoe box, a ball and a can are not flat: they have volume and take up space. But notice: the faces of the box are rectangles, and the lid of the can is a circle. Flat shapes are “glued” to the surface of objects.

ResumoThe most common forms

Shape How to recognize Where to find
Circle round, without corners coin, plate, wheel
Triangle 3 sides and 3 corners “Give preference” sign, slice of pizza
Square 4 equal sides and 4 straight corners tile, chessboard
Rectangle 4 straight corners, opposite sides equal door, notebook sheet, cell phone
Pentagon 5 sides little house designed with roof
Hexagon 6 sides honeycomb, screw nut

Game: what is the name of the shape?

The figure appears in different sizes, colors and positions. A square is still a square even when it’s “crooked”!

Click on the right name. Get five hits in a row to win the star party.

Is a square also a rectangle?

A rectangle is a 4 sided figure with 4 straight corners. The square has 4 straight corners — so it is also a rectangle! It is a special rectangle, with all four sides the same size.

They both have four straight corners. In a square, the sides are also all equal.

True or false?

  1. The top of a round table resembles a circle.
  2. A square stops being square when it is tilted.
  3. Every square is a rectangle.
  4. The triangle has 4 sides.
  5. A ball is not a flat shape.