This week, we will finish Time unit and start our Geometry Unit.  

In this chapter, your student will learn about two- and three-dimensional shapes. The lessons address sorting and describing shapes, joining shapes to make new shapes, and taking apart shapes. 

The vocabulary words for this chapter are: two-dimensional shape, vertex, side, trapezoid, rhombus, three-dimensional shape, curved surface, flat surface, rectangular prism, and edge. 

There are many ways to have fun reviewing what your student is learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes. Try some of the following ideas. 

• Point out examples of various shapes in the real world and ask your student to use the math vocabulary to describe the shape. For example, point out a yield sign. Ask, “What shape is that? How many straight sides does a triangle have? How many vertices?” Contrast the two-dimensional triangle with a three-dimensional traffic cone. Ask, “How are the shapes similar? How are they different? How many flat surfaces does a cone have? How many vertices? How many curved surfaces?” 
• Make a game of incorporating the vocabulary in this chapter into your conversations. For example, refer to the round trash can as the “trash cylinder” or the soccer ball as the “soccer sphere.” You can even incorporate these words into your next game of “I Spy.” 
• Collect examples of the three-dimensional shapes, such as soup cans, tissue boxes, and ice cream cones. Sit where your student cannot see your items and use them to build a structure. Then, describe your structure and have your student try to build an identical structure without looking at yours. For example, set a box of tissues on top of two soup cans. Say, “There are two cylinders beside each other. A rectangular prism is on top of them.” Then compare structures to see if they look the same. 

By the end of this chapter, your student should feel confident with the learning targets and success criteria on the next page. Encourage your student to find other examples of the shapes in this chapter. 

Have a great time learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes together!