Year 2: Comparing and sorting shapes and everyday objects
Part of the Year 2 2-d and 3-d shapes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Comparing and sorting shapes and everyday objects
We can sort shapes into groups. We can sort them by flat or solid.
We can also sort them by sides, corners, faces or vertices.
A ball is shaped like a sphere. A tin is shaped like a cylinder.
A book is shaped like a cuboid. A clock face is a flat circle.
Key ideas
- Flat shapes are 2-D. Solid shapes are 3-D.
- Sort shapes by their sides, corners, faces and vertices.
- A ball is a sphere. A tin is a cylinder.
- A book is a cuboid.
Method. Check the flat or solid of each shape. Then pick the one that matches.
- Look at each shape. Check the flat or solid of each one.A: square is flat; B: cube is solid; C: circle is flat
- Find the one that matches. A cube has depth, so it is solid. The square and circle are flat.B matches
- Write the answer. B
Check. Check each of the other shapes too. Only B matches. ✓
Watch out. Check every shape, not only the first one you see.
Method. Count the sides of each shape. Then compare the two numbers.
- Count the sides of triangle. The triangle has 3 sides.triangle: 3
- Count the sides of pentagon. The pentagon has 5 sides.pentagon: 5
- Compare the numbers. The shape with more sides is the answer.5 is more than 3
- Write the answer. pentagon
Check. The other shape has more sides, so pentagon is right. ✓
Watch out. Count both shapes before you decide.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a tin
- Match it to a shape. A tin has 2 flat circle ends and a curved side, so it is a cylinder.tin = cylinder
- Write the name. cylinder
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Watch out
Watch out: a book is not a cube. A book has rectangle faces, not square faces.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Gather a ball, a tin, a box and a block from home. Ask: “Which one can roll?” and “Which one has flat faces?”
Exercise 8E Comparing and sorting shapes and objects
Non-calculatorMethod. A flat shape has length and width, but no depth.
- Look at the shape. It is drawn flat, on the page.length and width only
- Decide. A flat shape is 2-D.flat
- Write the answer. flat
Check. A triangle is 2-D, so it is flat. ✓
Watch out. A solid shape has depth, like a box.
Method. A solid shape has depth, so you can pick it up.
- Look at the shape. It has length, width and depth.a box with depth
- Decide. A solid shape is 3-D.solid
- Write the answer. solid
Check. A cuboid has depth, so it is solid. ✓
Watch out. A flat shape has no depth.
Method. Check the flat or solid of each shape. Then pick the one that matches.
- Look at each shape. Check the flat or solid of each one.A: circle is flat; B: sphere is solid; C: square is flat
- Find the one that matches. A sphere has depth, so it is solid. The circle and square are flat.B matches
- Write the answer. B
Check. Check each of the other shapes too. Only B matches. ✓
Watch out. Check every shape, not only the first one you see.
Method. Count the sides of each shape. Then compare the two numbers.
- Count the sides of square. The square has 4 sides.square: 4
- Count the sides of triangle. The triangle has 3 sides.triangle: 3
- Compare the numbers. The shape with more sides is the answer.4 is more than 3
- Write the answer. square
Check. The other shape has more sides, so square is right. ✓
Watch out. Count both shapes before you decide.
Method. Count the corners of each shape. Then compare the two numbers.
- Count the corners of circle. The circle has 0 corners.circle: 0
- Count the corners of hexagon. The hexagon has 6 corners.hexagon: 6
- Compare the numbers. The shape with fewer corners is the answer.0 is fewer than 6
- Write the answer. circle
Check. The other shape has fewer corners, so circle is right. ✓
Watch out. Count both shapes before you decide.
Method. Check the number of sides of each shape. Then pick the one that matches.
- Look at each shape. Check the number of sides of each one.A: square has 4 sides; B: pentagon has 5 sides; C: triangle has 3 sides
- Find the one that matches. The pentagon has the most sides, 5.pentagon matches
- Write the answer. pentagon
Check. Check each of the other shapes too. Only pentagon matches. ✓
Watch out. Check every shape, not only the first one you see.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a ball
- Match it to a shape. A ball is round all over, so it is a sphere.ball = sphere
- Write the name. sphere
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a tin
- Match it to a shape. A tin has 2 flat circle ends and a curved side, so it is a cylinder.tin = cylinder
- Write the name. cylinder
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a book
- Match it to a shape. A book has 6 flat rectangle faces, so it is a cuboid.book = cuboid
- Write the name. cuboid
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a ball
- Match it to a shape. A ball is round all over, so it is a sphere.ball = sphere
- Write the name. sphere
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a tin
- Match it to a shape. A tin has 2 flat circle ends and a curved side, so it is a cylinder.tin = cylinder
- Write the name. cylinder
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. Think about the shape of the whole object, not one small part.
- Look at the object. Think about its flat parts and curved parts.a cube
- Match it to a shape. This block has 6 equal square faces, so it is a cube.cube = cube
- Write the name. cube
Check. Name the flat faces or the curved part to check. ✓
Watch out. Many objects are not perfect shapes, so think about the main shape.
Method. A curved surface has no flat face on it. Check each shape.
- Check shape A. The cube has only flat square faces.A: flat only
- Check shape B. The sphere is curved all over.B: curved
- Check shape C. The cylinder has a curved side.C: curved
- Check shape D. The pyramid has only flat triangle faces.D: flat only
- Write the letters. B and C
Check. The sphere and the cylinder are the only shapes with a curved surface here. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole surface. A shape with any curved part has a curved surface.
Method. Count the corners of each shape. Then compare the two numbers.
- Count the corners of circle. The circle has 0 corners.circle: 0
- Count the corners of square. The square has 4 corners.square: 4
- Compare the numbers. The shape with fewer corners is the answer.0 is fewer than 4
- Write the answer. circle
Check. The other shape has fewer corners, so circle is right. ✓
Watch out. Count both shapes before you decide.
Method. Count the corners of the cuboid, the same as the vertices.
- Look at the cuboid. It is a box with a corner at each end of each edge.corners on each end
- Count the corners. A cuboid has 8 vertices.8 corners
- Decide. It has more than the rectangle. Ruby is not right.No
Check. 8 corners is not 4 corners, so Ruby is not right. ✓
Watch out. A rectangle is flat, with 4 corners. A cuboid is solid, with 8.
Method. Look at each shape. Think about flat and solid.
- Check each shape. The square, triangle and circle are flat (2-D).flat: square, triangle, circle
- Find the different one. The cube is solid (3-D). It is the odd one out.solid: cube
- Write the answer. cube
Check. Only the cube is solid. ✓
Watch out. Check whether each shape is flat or solid before you compare.