Lesson Title: Marshmallow Geometry

Kindergarten
Subject: Mathematics

Grade Level:
Length: 20 min

Domain: Geometry K.G

Cluster: Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.
Standard: Model shapes in the world by building shapes from
components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.

Measureable and Aligned Objectives:

1. SWBAT identify different shapes in the classroom.
(Remembering)
2. SWBAT build models of the different shapes in the classroom.
(Apply)
What Specific content will become the focus of the daily
lesson?
Identify shapes and their characterizations.
Importance: Shapes make up the world around us such as a stop
sign, a house, a car wheel, etc. Shapes are important for many
reasons. One reason is that shapes help in the process of learning and
understanding numbers, like counting the number of sides that shape
has. Another reason is that shapes help in the process of recognizing
letters. Letters are just more complicated shapes.
Materials:

Mini Marshmallows
Marker
Cardstock
Pretzel sticks or toothpicks.

Questions:
1. What are the names of the 4 shapes? (Beginning, remember)
2. How would you describe each of the shapes? (Beginning,
understand)

3. What are some examples of shapes that you see in the

community or the classroom? (Middle, understand)
4. How do the 4 shapes compare or contrast with each other?
(Middle, analyze)
5. How would you use what weve learned about the shapes, the
marshmallows, and the pretzels to build each shape? (End,
create)
Beginning of the Lesson:
The teacher will ask the class to raise their hands if they like
marshmallows. Then the teacher will ask the students to raise their
hands if they like pretzels. Students will raise their hands accordingly.
The teacher will then explain to the class that for todays lesson they
will be working with both marshmallows and pretzels, and once they
are finished with the lesson and activity they will get to eat their
creations. The Teacher will hand out the handout with the 4 shapes on
it to each of the students. Once the handout is passed out, the teacher
will ask the students, WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF EACH OF THE
SHAPES? (Equilateral triangle, isosceles triangle, square, rectangle)
The teacher will then tell them to look at the handout and to turn to
their elbow partner and name and identify each of the 4 shapes. After
this has been done, the teacher will point to each shape and ask the
whole class which shape she is pointing to. The teacher will then ask
the students, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE EACH OF THE
IDENTIFIED SHAPES? The teacher would then explain how every
shape has sides and corners and that they corners are where two sides
meet. The teacher would tell them that this is called a vertex. The
teacher will then explain the importance of shapes and how they relate
to the students education and world.
Middle of the Lesson:
The teacher will ask the students to point and count out loud as a class
the number of sides on the first shape (triangle). The students would
then count the number of sides. The teacher would then remind the
students that the points where two sides meet, is called the vertex,
which makes a corner. The teacher will then have the students label
the vertices with a dot using any color they choose. After naming off
the number of sides and vertices, the students will write those
numbers next to the shape. For the next shape, the teacher will ask the
students to work with their elbow partners. The pairs of students will
do the same thing that they did with the class, but with their partners.
The students will point to and count the number of sides on the square.
The students will then label the vertices with their red marker. The
students, again, will write down how many sides and vertices that

shape has next to it. After this step, the teacher will then ask the
students to do the same thing again, but by themselves. The students
will point and count the number of sides in their head, and then label
the vertices with a red marker. The students, again, will write down
how many sides and vertices that shape has next to it. This process
will continue again for the next shape. (This is a cooperative learning
strategy and is the Team-Pair-Solo activity) The teacher will then ask
the class, HOW DO THE 4 SHAPES COMPARE OR CONTRAST
WITH EACH OTHER? The teacher will have the students talk with
their elbow partners and then share with the class. (This is a
cooperative learning strategy called Think-Pair-Share) The teacher will
then ask the students to look at the two triangles and decided if they
are the same or different. The students will answer. The teacher will
have the students measure the sides of each triangle using a pretzel
and then explain that the triangle with equal sides is an equilateral
triangle and that the triangle with two longer sides is an isosceles
triangle. The teacher asked the students the same thing about the
rectangle and the square. The students will answer. The teacher will
have them measure the sides again with the pretzels. The teacher will
then explain that a square has all equal sides and the rectangle has
two longer sides. After explaining the shapes, the teacher will ask the
students, WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SHAPES THAT YOU
SEE IN THE COMMUNITY OR THE CLASSROOM? The teacher will
have the students walk around the room with their elbow partner and
have them identify at least 5 shapes within the classroom.
End of Lesson:
HOW WOULD YOU USE WHAT WEVE LEARNED ABOUT THE
SHAPES, THE MARSHMALLOWS, AND THE PRETZELS TO BUILD
EACH SHAPE? The teacher will ask the students again to review what
a vertex was. The students will shout out the answer. The teacher will
ask the students to build each of the shapes, but one at a time so that
they dont get confused, and so that the teacher can gauge their
learning and understanding better. The teacher will first name off an
equilateral triangle, and then give the students time to build that
shape. This would continue for all of the shapes. The students will build
the shape based on what they learned in class. They will have to use
their knowledge of how many sides a triangle has and how many
vertexes it has. They will have to do the same for the other shapes
also. Another thing that they will have to think about is the difference
between the types of triangles and the difference between a rectangle
and a square. This is how the teacher will assess the students to see if
they have learned the characteristics of each of the shapes and the
names that belong to each of those shapes. After the lesson is
complete, the teacher will tell the students that they can build any

other shaped that they wish to build, and that they may eat the
pretzels and marshmallows if they wish. If they do not want to, they
may throw them in the trash and then return to their seats quietly.