Geometry — shape, position & direction
2D and 3D Shapes
Year 1 · Year 2
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to recognise and name common 2-D shapes including circles, squares, rectangles and triangles.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to recognise and name common 3-D shapes including cuboids (and cubes), pyramids and spheres.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and corners.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of faces, edges and vertices.
- ✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes based on their properties.
Key concepts
2D shapes are flat shapes that you can draw on a piece of paper. They only have length and width. We describe them by their sides and corners.
A circle is a round 2D shape. It has no straight sides and no corners.
A square is a 2D shape with 4 straight sides that are all the same length. It has 4 corners.
A rectangle is a 2D shape with 4 straight sides. It has 2 long sides and 2 short sides. It has 4 corners.
A triangle is a 2D shape with 3 straight sides and 3 corners.
3D shapes are solid shapes that you can hold. They have length, width and height. We describe them by their faces, edges and vertices.
A face is a flat surface of a 3D shape. For example, a cube has 6 flat faces.
An edge is where two faces of a 3D shape meet. It is a straight line.
A vertex is a corner of a 3D shape where edges meet. (For 2D shapes, we often just say 'corners').
A cube is a 3D shape with 6 square faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. All its faces are squares of the same size.
A cuboid is a 3D shape with 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. Its faces are rectangles, but some can be squares.
A sphere is a round 3D shape, like a ball. It has one curved face, no edges and no vertices.
A pyramid is a 3D shape with a flat base and triangular faces that meet at a point (called the apex). A square-based pyramid has 5 faces (1 square, 4 triangles), 8 edges and 5 vertices.
We can sort shapes into groups based on their properties, such as whether they are 2D or 3D, the number of sides, corners, faces, edges or vertices they have, or even their colour or size.
Key facts to remember
- 12D shapes are flat, like a drawing.
- 23D shapes are solid, like an object you can hold.
- 3A circle has no straight sides and no corners.
- 4A square has 4 equal sides and 4 corners.
- 5A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners.
- 6A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices.
- 7A sphere has one curved face, no edges and no vertices.
- 8We can sort shapes by their properties, like the number of sides or faces.
Worked examples
Example 1
Look at this shape. What is its name? How many sides and corners does it have?
Answer
The shape is a triangle. It has 3 sides and 3 corners.
This example would be accompanied by an image of a triangle.
Example 2
Look at this shape. What is its name? How many faces, edges and vertices does it have?
Answer
The shape is a cube. It has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices.
This example would be accompanied by an image of a cube.
Example 3
Sort these shapes into two groups: 'Shapes with 4 corners' and 'Shapes with no corners'.
Answer
Shapes with 4 corners: Square, Rectangle. Shapes with no corners: Circle, Sphere.
This example would be accompanied by images of a square, rectangle, circle, and sphere.
Common mistakes
- ✗Confusing 2D shapes (flat) with 3D shapes (solid).
- ✗Mixing up the terms 'sides' (for 2D) and 'edges' (for 3D).
- ✗Mixing up the terms 'corners' (for 2D) and 'vertices' (for 3D).
- ✗Incorrectly counting the number of faces, edges or vertices on a 3D shape.
- ✗Forgetting that a sphere has one curved face, not zero faces.
Exam tips
- ★Always look carefully at the shape before you name it or describe its properties.
- ★When counting sides, corners, faces, edges or vertices, point to each one as you count to make sure you don't miss any or count any twice.
- ★Think about real-life objects that are the same shape to help you remember their names and properties (e.g., a dice is a cube, a ball is a sphere).
- ★Practise drawing 2D shapes and building 3D shapes to help you understand their properties better.
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