🔢 MathLevel 1Lesson 17
← Back🔒 PDF with full access

Naming 2D Shapes

Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).

Learning Objectives

  • 1Name a circle, square, triangle, rectangle, pentagon, and hexagon
  • 2Identify 2D shapes by their visual appearance
  • 3Distinguish flat shapes from solid shapes
📘

Mini Lesson

Look around the room — shapes are everywhere! A window, a pizza slice, a coin — they are all flat shapes with special names. These flat shapes are called 2D shapes.

What does 2D mean?

  • 2D stands for two-dimensional — a shape that is flat, with length and width but no depth.
  • You can draw a 2D shape on paper.
  • Every 2D shape has sides (straight lines) and corners (where sides meet) — except the circle.

The six shapes to know

  • Circle — perfectly round, no sides, no corners. Example: a coin.
  • Triangle — 3 sides, 3 corners. Example: a yield sign.
  • Square — 4 equal sides, 4 corners. Example: a tile.
  • Rectangle — 4 sides (opposite sides equal), 4 corners. Example: a door.
  • Pentagon — 5 sides, 5 corners. Example: the home plate in baseball.
  • Hexagon — 6 sides, 6 corners. Example: a honeycomb cell.

A helpful tip

  • The prefix tells you the number of sides: tri- = 3, penta- = 5, hex- = 6.
  • A square is a special rectangle — all four sides are the same length.
Six 2D shapes: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagonA grid showing all six named 2D shapes, each filled with a different color and labeled below.2D ShapesCircleTriangleSquareRectanglePentagonHexagon0 sides3 sides4 sides4 sides5 sides6 sides
All six 2D shapes with their names and side counts.
Real-life examples of 2D shapesA coin labeled circle, a tile labeled square, a door labeled rectangle, and a honeycomb cell labeled hexagon.Shapes in Real LifecoinCircleSquareRectangleHexagoncointiledoorhoneycombShapes are everywhere!
Everyday objects matched to their 2D shape name — coin (circle), tile (square), door (rectangle), honeycomb cell (hexagon).
💡

Ask yourself: "How many sides does this shape have? What is its name?"

Vocabulary
2D shape
A flat shape that you can draw on papere.g. A square is a 2D shape.
Circle
A round shape with no sides and no cornerse.g. A coin is shaped like a circle.
Triangle
A shape with 3 sides and 3 cornerse.g. A yield sign is a triangle.
Rectangle
A shape with 4 sides where opposite sides are the same lengthe.g. A door is a rectangle.
Pentagon
A shape with 5 sides and 5 cornerse.g. Home plate in baseball is a pentagon.
Hexagon
A shape with 6 sides and 6 cornerse.g. A honeycomb cell is a hexagon.
Free · 7 days · No credit card

Unlock the full HSEA system for 7 days.

Add your first kid profile and your 7 days start: every lesson in every grade, saved progress for each child. Nothing to set up, no card required, nothing to cancel.

  • ✓ All 1,680 lessons, Grades 1–6, every subject
  • ✓ Profiles + saved progress for every kid
  • ✓ Printable lessons with answer key
Start your 7-day free trial →
Already convinced? See full membership plans →
← Lesson 16: Checking Our WorkLesson 18: Properties of 2D Shapes — Sides and Corners →