Shapes Bingo

Name: Siel Snowden and Harley Michael

Grade: 1st grade (designed specifically for Ms. Pariss first grade class)
Lesson Title/Topic: Shapes Bingo
NCTM Standards: Geometry
Common Core Standards:
Reason with shapes and their attributes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1

Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus
non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to
possess defining attributes.
Practice Standards
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Learning Objectives (measurable):
1. SWBAT correctly identify a triangle, diamond, square, rectangle, circle, and oval shape
when prompted
2. SWBAT accurately identify a bingo as four colored shapes that are connected
horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Vocabulary:
1. Names of shapes: triangle, diamond, square, rectangle, circle, and oval (previously

taught)
2. Bingo
3. Horizontal, diagonal, and vertical--to explain the types of bingos that are possible
(previously taught)

Probing questions:
1. Why is it important for students to understand basic 2D shapes, and why are these
shapes (square, rectangle, diamond, triangle, circle, and oval) specifically chosen for
first-graders?
2. How does a fun game like bingo help students to reinforce their understanding of basic
shapes?
3. How does the understanding of what constitutes a bingo help prepare students for other
mathematical concepts?

Overview
This bingo game assesses first-graders on their knowledge of six different 2D shapes. It
also introduces them to basic linear concepts such as horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines.
This lessons would be best used at the end of a unit in order to prepare for an assessment.
Materials (for a class of 15):
1. 4 each of six different bingo boards (see attachments)
2. Paper bag containing every possible combination of shapes and colors (red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, purple)
3. Markers, crayons, or colored pencils for coloring the boards
4. Prizes for bingos (cool emoji stickers!)
Anticipatory Set:
1. Teacher will tell the class that they are going to practice/review their shapes...by playing
bingo! Students will get very excited.
2. Teacher will first review the different shapes by drawing them on the board and asking a
student to identify each (pre-assessment)
3. Teacher will then review what a bingo is and explain the different ways to get a bingo,
using the words horizontal, vertical, and diagonal
4. Teacher will hand out copies of the bingo board to students
Method/Procedures
1. Teacher will pull a shape/color combination out of the bag and announce it to the class
2. Students will find any instance of that shape on their bingo board and color it the
specified color
3. Teacher will repeat until a student has a bingo. The teacher will come and check their
bingo, asking the student to read back their bingo to make sure they can identify all the
shapes. If it is correct, they will receive a sticker and a new board
4. Activity will continue for the allotted time (30 minutes) or until students appear to be
losing interest
Closure:
Teacher will thank the class for their participation in this activity, ask if they liked it, and
hand out stickers to the students who didnt get a bingo.
Assessment/Check for Understanding (Formative):
When students get bingos, the teacher will ask each student to identify the shapes and
colors in their bingo to make sure they are able to do so. The teacher will also be able to gauge
whether the student understands the concept of a bingo as a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal
row of 4 shapes. During the activity, the assistant teacher (Harley) will walk around the room
and make sure students understand what they are doing and are on task.

Assessment/Check for Understanding (Summative):

This lesson does not include a summative assessment.

Accommodations:
1. Students with a math learning disability or who struggle to identify shapes can use a
cheat sheet with the names of each shape on it while playing the game.
2. In a very large class setting, students can use large bingo boards and work in pairs or
small groups to play the game.

Extensions:
1. Teacher could create a bingo game where students must identify examples of basic
shapes in the real word in order to fill out their board. For example, the face of a tissue
box is a rectangle, and the clock is a circle.
2. For older students, the gameboard could be refigured to include more complex shapes
such as specific types of triangles and n-gons.
3. The class could combine math and physical activity by playing a cooperative game of
shapes bingo with a giant bingo board where students must run and stand on an
assigned square and do an assigned activity (for example, jumping jacks on a circle).
When there is a bingo, the whole class gets a prize, or just the students who were part of
the bingo.
Literature:
Helping Children Learn Mathematics, 8th edition, Chapter fifteen (Reys)
Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics, Chapter sixteen (Van de Walle ect.)
Both resources emphasize the importance of geometry in early elementary education.
Young children should be allowed to participate in hands-on, inquiry-based activities that help
them to understand what constitutes a shape, how to identify a shape, and to list the differences
between various shapes.
References
This lesson and all associated materials were designed and developed by Siel Snowden
and Harley Michael.