GM1-2: Sort objects by their appearance.
Elaboration on this Achievement Objective
This means students will classify or sort objects by their characteristics. These characteristics include shape, size, colour, texture, weight, and temperature. Students should be able to justify why they have sorted objects in the way they have and be encouraged to develop increasingly sophisticated classifications such as shape and size.
Teaching resources for this Achievement Objective

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
In this unit students participate in a variety of art based activities to develop their knowledge of 2-dimensional shapes. They use their own language to describe their works and the shapes they have used.
- Name 2-dimensional shapes: triangle, square, oblong (non-square rectangle), circle, oval and diamond.
- Describe shape attributes in their own language.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in thinking about the features and differences of regular polygons. A printable PDF with suitable shapes is provided with this activity.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Student e-Ako
This interactive learning module supports students to explore describing and naming common shapes.
- Using words to describe shapes.
- Identifying and naming of some shapes that we find around us.
- Sorting shapes by their features.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Problem solving activities
Join shapes together to form other shapes
Identify and describe shapes
Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (guess and check).

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Picture book activities
This is an activity based on the picture book Nanny Mihi’s Treasure Hunt.
- Students will be able to describe the characteristics of 3-D shapes found in containers and group containers into categories.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
This unit is suited to a small class at a school where large building blocks and wood off-cuts are readily available. Asking students to construct objects affords a prime time to observe and listen to their language as they build. Using blocks is a powerful medium for improving students' perception...
- Classify shapes into categories.
- Discuss differences and likenesses of the shapes.
- Explore, experiment and talk about the form and function of the shapes in their own language.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Problem solving activities
list a number of properties that distinguish squares from circles from cubes from pentagons.
devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (guess and check, make a drawing, use equipment).

Level One
Integrated
Units of Work
In this unit students develop number, measurement and shape understanding, skills and language, through making and working with play dough.
- Sort shapes by their appearance.
- Justify classifications with explanations that use early geometric language
- Recognise that two-dimensional shapes are flat and have no ‘thickness’.
- Understand how to accurately use non-standard units to measure capacity.
- Recognise that shapes with three dimensions have300

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in finding similarities and differences between shapes.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
In this unit students identify attributes of 2D shapes and describe sides and corners of these shapes. They identify and classify shapes by name, number of sides and corners, and they describe similarities and differences between shapes.
- Use the language ‘side’ and ‘corner’ in describing shapes.
- Classify 2D shapes according to how many sides they have.
- Identify 2D shapes by name.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
In this unit students describe and classify 2D and 3D shapes. They will use their own language in their descriptions, will be exploring similarities and differences, and will be informally considering sides, corners, curved and straight lines.
- Sort, compare and classify 2D and 3D objects such as triangle, square, oblong, circle, box, cylinder and sphere.
- Describe shape attributes in their own language.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in sorting shapes by a common feature.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in thinking about the features of a 2D shape.

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Problem solving activities
Create squares, triangles and oblongs by folding paper
Identify and describe shapes
Devise and use problem solving strategies to explore situations mathematically (guess and check).

Level One
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
The purpose of this unit of five sessions is to have students investigate transformation elements of geometry in spring flowers and use these elements to create their own artworks.
- Develop and use attribute language.
- Sort flowers by their appearance, explaining and justifying their grouping.
- Explain reflection using their own language.
- Recognise and show understanding of symmetry.
- Apply understandings of reflection/symmetry to a practical task.
- Recognise that a shape can turn300