All hands on deck are needed for this AMAZING 1st Grade Geometry Unit. I have to say this is my favorite of all my Master Math units and it is jam-packed with goodies. My kids love to learn and explore two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and learn about whole, halves, and fourths in this Geometry Shape Unit.
Like all my other math units, my guided math lessons follow the acronym, MASTER. You can read more about Master Math here. Each letter stands for a component of the math lesson.
M=manipulatives
A=apply skills
S=small group
T=technology
E=enrichment
R=review
Let’s take a peek at each part of this acronym and how it is utilized in my 1st grade Geometry Unit!
Manipulatives
This rotation is the favorite in this unit because we create all kinds of shapes using different tools. We use playdough and cookie cutters, pattern blocks, geoboards and rubber bands, shape tracing templates, and more. They love using marshmallows and toothpicks to create both 2D & 3D shapes.
I have a table in the back of my room where I put my printed shape posters. As they create, we add them to our shape museum. By the end of the unit, our museum is incredible. I always invite our principal in to check out our creations and celebrate our hard work.
Apply Skills
This center is a fan favorite too because they play games and work together. Who doesn’t love playing games? They are learning and don’t even know it. The games range from shape identification, looking at sides, determining if it is a plane or solid shape, if it rolls, stacks, or slides, and a few fun fraction bingo games, too. There are cover-alls, bingo boards, “War” or “Top It”, and memory activities.
Small Group
This rotation gets a bit tricky for this unit as sometimes we need a good amount of space. To solve that problem, we work on the carpet together. There are mini books where you introduce the shapes, analyze them, and practice drawing them. This is the best center to see exactly how much your students are grasping and where you may need to focus more time.
Technology
Technology is a great tool to engage students in math. It also reaches those learners who may struggle in one area of math. In this unit, there are several Boom & Google slides for students to practice identifying and analyzing different shapes.
Enrichment
This rotation is a little different for this 1st grade geometry unit. I have a few options open for the entire unit that I don’t change. Students can work on building a three-dimensional shape to add to our museum from paper. They have to cut, fold, and glue to make the shapes. I also have a shape book that they can create. They draw the shape, name it and tell me everything they know about the shape. If they go this route, they could add as many pages as they desire. Finally, I have a writing activity with shapes. There is a shape at the top, and they have to turn it into something. Once they create the picture, they write a little story about it. Here you can see I turned a circle into a spider web for them.
Review
We call the review center the “green” center because I always print the review work on green paper. It helps me visually when sorting and filing. Review is key to keeping concepts fresh and revisiting learning in case it wasn’t mastered the first time. This rotation is a quiet, independent workstation.
More Activities for 1st Grade Geometry
At the end of each Master Math unit, there is an assessment. Since we don’t do rotations on assessment day, I have created a fun cumulative craft for each unit. In this unit, we make an owl out of shapes. They turn out so cute and we display them just in time for parent-teacher conferences. Before I created this unit, it was a free resource at my store. Download this free Shape Owl goodie here.
This unit lends itself to so much fun. Another activity I like to do is invite children to send in recyclable containers from home. I put them in a tub and we practice sorting them out for review. It would also make a great fast-finishers station.
Because this is my fourth unit in the Master Math Curriculum, it always falls around Halloween. I LOVE reading The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin and making shape pumpkins. This Spookley the Square Pumpkin unit is available separately if you want to check it out.
I usually plan three weeks for this Geometry unit, unlike my other Master Math units which are two. There are so many other components in this 1st grade Geometry Unit from lesson plans, assessment recording sheets, “I can” posters, binder covers, and book suggestions, I am confident your students will love this unit as much as mine do!
Here is what a few people had to say about Geometry Shapes Guided Master Math Unit 4:
“Master Math has changed my view of teaching math. My students are so engaged and have so much fun at the different centers.”
“My students found this resource very engaging and fun. It is a complete resource. We love the tech aspect.”
“I am in awe of your math resources! This is exactly what I was looking for to help align with my district while still being fun for my students!”
Read more about my Master Math Units right here on my blog:
- Overview of Master Math: Guided Math Using Master Math Curriculum
- Unit 1: Building Number Sense
- Unit 2: Addition to 10
- Unit 3: Subtraction to 10
