MATHS & SCIENCE FOR

YOUNG CHILDREN

CHD1338 - Diploma in Primary Teacher Training

LEARNING TARGETS
• 5.1 Identify three dimensional shapes in the preschool setting

• 5.2 Discuss the characteristics and demonstrate the qualities of prisms

• 5.3 Distinguish between symmetry and asymmetry

• 5.4 Extend concepts learned to practical preschool application

What does 3D mean

• 3D in 3D shapes stands for 3-dimensional. We normally talk about

dimensions as measurements in a direction. Examples of dimensions include
length, width or breadth, depth and height.
What are 3D shapes?
• 3D shapes are shapes with three dimensions, such as width, height and
depth. An example of a 3D shape is a prism or a sphere. 3D shapes are
multidimensional and can be physically held

• What are some examples ?

Examples of 3D shapes are around us all the time. Nearly everything we see
and interact with in our day to day lives is a three-dimensional shape, from
Lego bricks to sunflowers. However, in the primary curriculum, children only
need to know the names and understand the properties of the most common
3D shapes. This contrasts with 2D shapes where children must learn about
both regular and irregular shapes.
Which 3D shapes will children
learn?
• In primary school, your child will learn about the following key geometric
shapes: spheres, cones, prisms and pyramids. It’s worth knowing that
geometrically prisms incorporate more solid shapes than you might
traditionally think of as prisms. For example did you know that both a cube
and a cuboid with a square base and straight sides are actually considered
prisms.

Sphere Triangular prism

Hemisphere Hexagonal prism
Cone Pentagonal prism
Tetrahedron or Cube
Triangular-based Cuboid
pyramid
Cylinder
What are the properties of 3D
shapes?
• The properties of 3D shapes are their faces, edges
and vertices which all have specific meanings in the
context of primary school math lessons.

Face - A face is a flat surface to a 3D object. For

example a square based prism has 5 faces. A sphere
has 1 curved surface but no face.

Edge - An edge is where two line segments or faces

meet. A cylinder has 2 edges.

Vertices - are where two lines or edges meet; in math

we refer to the corners of 3D shapes as vertices. The
singular of vertices is actually vertex which can be a
bit confusing. A cone has one vertex, and a cube has 4
vertices.
 What are prisms and pyramids?
• A prism is a type of three- • A pyramid is also a three-dimensional
dimensional (3D) shape with flat (3D) shape. It has a polygon base and
sides. It has two ends that are the flat (triangular) sides that join at a
same shape and size (and look like common point (called the apex).
a 2D shape). It has the same cross-
section all along the shape from end • We often think of the famous pyramids in
to end; that means if you cut through Egypt when the word ‘pyramid’ is mentioned.
it you would see the same 2D shape as The Egyptian pyramids are square-based
on either end. pyramids, but there are several other types
of pyramids, each with a different polygon as
its base.
Geometry is taught in every year group in KS1 and KS2. Here’s what
the National Curriculum expects to be taught about 2D shapes and 3D
shapes, separated by year:

• Year 1 pupils should be able to:

• Recognize and name common 2-D and 3-D shapes, including: 2-D shapes

for example, rectangles (including squares), circles and triangles; 3-D shapes
for example, cuboids (including cubes), pyramids and spheres.

• Non-statutory guidance: Pupils handle common 2-D and 3-D shapes, naming
these and related everyday objects fluently. They recognize these shapes in
different orientations and sizes, and know that rectangles, triangles, cuboids
and pyramids are not always similar to each other.
• Year 2 pupils should be able to:

• Identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides
and line symmetry in a vertical line.

• Identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of
edges, vertices and faces.

• Identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes, [for example, a circle on a
cylinder and a triangle on a pyramid].

• Compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects.

• Non-statutory guidance: Pupils handle and name a wide variety of common 2-D
and 3-D shapes, including quadrilaterals and polygons, and cuboids, prisms and
cones, and identify the properties of each shape (for example, number of sides,
number of faces). Pupils identify, compare and sort shapes on the basis of their
properties and use vocabulary precisely, such as sides, edges, vertices and faces.
• Year 3 pupils should be able to:

• Draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using modelling materials and recognize
3-D shapes in different orientations and describe them.

• Non-statutory guidance: Pupils’ knowledge of the properties of shapes is

extended at this stage to symmetrical and non-symmetrical polygons and
polyhedral. Pupils extend their use of the properties of shapes. They should be
able to describe the properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes using accurate language,
including lengths of lines and acute and obtuse for angles greater or lesser than
a right angle.

• Year 4 pupils should be able to:

• Identify lines of symmetry in 2-D shapes presented in different orientations.

• Non-statutory guidance: Pupils continue to classify shapes using geometrical

properties, extending to classifying different triangles (for example, isosceles,
equilateral, scalene) and quadrilaterals (for example, parallelogram, rhombus,
trapezium).
• Year 5 pupils should be able to:

• Identify 3-D shapes, including cubes and other cuboids, from 2-D
representations and distinguish between regular and irregular polygons based
on reasoning about equal sides and angles.

• Year 6 pupils should be able to:

• Draw 2-D shapes using given dimensions and angles and recognize, describe and
build simple 3-D shapes, including making nets.
How do 3D shapes relate to other
areas of math?
• When working with fractions, children will often have to shade a fraction of
a shape. They will have to relate their understanding of perimeter, area and
volume to 3D shapes.
Symmetric and Asymmetric
• Symmetrical and Asymmetrical, If you know that symmetrical means that
both sides of something are identical, then it should be easy to learn that
asymmetrical means the opposite: the two sides are different in some way.
Asymmetrical things are irregular and crooked and don't match up perfectly
when folded in half. Drawing something perfectly symmetrical is pretty
hard, so most of your creations are probably asymmetrical.

• In easy words, we can say the Differences between Symmetrical and

Asymmetrical as the images which can be divided into identical halves are
symmetrical and cannot are asymmetrical.
Symmetry And Line Of Symmetry
• In geometry, symmetry is defined as a balanced and proportionate similarity
that is found in two halves of an object. It means one-half is the mirror
image of the other half. The imaginary line or axis along which you can fold
a figure to obtain the symmetrical halves is called the line of symmetry.

• If an object is symmetrical, it means that it is equal on both sides. Suppose,

if we fold a paper such that half of the paper coincides with the other half of
the paper, then the paper has symmetry.

• Symmetry can be defined for both regular and irregular shapes. For
example, a square is a regular (all sides are equal) and a rectangle is an
irregular shape (since only opposite sides are equal). The symmetries for
both shapes are different.
• Symmetry in Mathematics

• In Mathematics, a meaning of symmetry defines that one shape is exactly

like the other shape when it is moved, rotated, or flipped. Consider an
example, when you are told to cut out a ‘heart’ from a piece of paper, don’t
you simply fold the paper, draw one-half of the heart at the fold and cut it
out to find that the other half exactly matches the first half? The heart
carved out is an example of symmetry.

• Symmetry Math definition states that “symmetry is a mirror image”. When

an image looks identical to the original image after the shape is being
turned or flipped, then it is called symmetry. It exists in patterns. You may
have often heard of the term ‘symmetry’ in day to day life. It is a balanced
and proportionate similarity found in two halves of an object, that is, one-
half is the mirror image of the other half. And a shape that is not
symmetrical is referred to as asymmetrical. Symmetric objects are found all
around us, in nature, architecture, and art.
Symmetrical Figures
Symmetrical shapes or figures are the objects where we can place a line such that the
images on both sides of the line mirror each other. The below set of figures form
symmetrical shapes when we place a plane or draw the lines.
 Line of Symmetry
The imaginary line or axis along which you fold a figure to obtain the symmetrical
halves is called the line of symmetry. It basically divides an object into two mirror-
image halves. The line of symmetry can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal. There
may be one or more lines of symmetry.

2 Lines Symmetry
1 Line Symmetry
Figure is symmetrical with only about two
Figure is symmetrical only about one axis. It
lines. The lines may be vertical and
may be horizontal or vertical. The word
horizontal lines as viewed in the letters H
ATOYOTA has one axis of symmetry along
and X. Thus, we can see here two lines
the axis passing through Y.
symmetry.
 4 Lines Symmetry
3 Lines Symmetry Four lines of symmetry can be seen in
An example of three lines of symmetry a square, that has all the sides equal.
is an equilateral triangle. Here, the
mirror line passes from the vertex to
the opposite side dividing the triangle
into two equal right triangles.

Infinite lines
Some figures have not one or
two, but infinite lines passing
through the center, and the
figure is still symmetrical.
Example: a circle.
Lines of Symmetry for Different
Shapes
• There are three types of a parallelogram whose number of symmetry lines
are given in the aforementioned table. Below are the explanations on the
lines of symmetry in each of these parallelograms.

Symmetry Lines in Parallelograms

Parallelogram Number of
Name Symmetry Lines
Square 4
Rectangle 2
Rhombus 2
Lines of Symmetry in a Square

• In a square, there are four lines of symmetry, each of which divides it into
two identical parts. The symmetry lines of a square are both its diagonals
and the lines joining the midpoints of its opposite sides (bisectors)

Lines of Symmetry in a Rectangle

• There are two lines of symmetry in a rectangle which cuts it into two
equal halves. In a rectangle, the lines of symmetry are those lines which
join the midpoint of the opposite and parallel lines (i.e. the bisector) of the
rectangle.

Lines of Symmetry in a Rhombus

• In a rhombus, the lines of symmetry are its diagonals. So, the number
of symmetry lines in a rhombus are two i.e. its diagonals which divide it
into two identical halves where each part is the mirror image of the other.
 What is Lines of Symmetry in
Rectangle?
• There are 2 symmetry lines of a rectangle which are from its
length and breadth. These two lines cut the rectangle in two
similar halves which are mirror images of each other. If a
rectangle is folded along its line of symmetry, it superimposes
perfectly.
• It should be noted that for a rectangle, the diagonals are
not its lines of symmetry. This is because, if a rectangle
cut along its diagonals will not superimpose perfectly as the
sides will be of different measurement.
• Rotational Symmetry of a Rectangle
• A rectangle has an order of rotational symmetry of 2 at 180°
and 360°. This means a rectangle can map onto itself 2 times
during rotation of 360° i.e. at 180° and 360°. This is in
contrast to a square which has rotational symmetry of 4 as it
has 4 equal sides.
 What are the Lines of Symmetry in
Rhombus?
• A rhombus has 2 lines of symmetry which cuts it into two identical parts.
Both the lines of symmetry in a rhombus are from its diagonals. So, it can be
said the rhombus lines of symmetry are its both diagonals.
• How are Rhombus Lines of Symmetry Different from Square Lines of
Symmetry?
• To recall, a rhombus is a 2-dimensional geometric figure whose all sides are
equal. Unlike a square, the angles of a rhombus are not 90 degrees. So, the
number of lines of symmetry are different for both square and rhombus. A
rhombus has only two lines of symmetry, whereas a square has 4. This can
be observed from the below figure.

Rotational Symmetry of a Rhombus

A rhombus has four equal sides but of
varying angles. A rhombus has two
lines of symmetry (vertical and
horizontal), an order of two, and the
angle of rotation of 180 degrees.
Types of Symmetry
Symmetry may be viewed when you flip, slide or turn an object. There are four
types of symmetry that can be observed in various situations, they are:

• Translation Symmetry

• Rotational Symmetry

• Reflection Symmetry

• Glide Symmetry
Translation Symmetry
• If the object is translated or moved from one position to another, the same
orientation in the forward and backward motion is called translational
symmetry. In other words, it is defined as the sliding of an object about an
axis. This can be observed clearly from the figure given below, where the
shape is moved forward and backward in the same orientation by keeping
the fixed axis.
Rotational Symmetry
• When an object is rotated in a particular direction,
around a point, then it is known as rotational
symmetry or radial symmetry. Rotational
symmetry existed when a shape turned, and the
shape is identical to the origin. The angle of
rotational symmetry is the smallest angle at which
the figure can be rotated to coincide with itself.
The order of symmetry is how the object coincides
with itself when it is in rotation.
• In geometry, many shapes consist of rotational
symmetry. For example, the figures such as circle,
square, rectangle have rotational symmetry.
Rotational symmetry can also be found in nature,
for instance, in the petals of a flower.
• Below figure shows the rotational symmetry of a
square along with the degree of rotation.
Reflexive Symmetry
• Reflection symmetry is a type of symmetry in which one half of the object
reflects the other half of the object. It is also called mirror symmetry or line
of symmetry. A classic example of reflection symmetry can be observed in
nature, as represented in the below figure.
 Glide Symmetry
• The combination of both translation and reflection transformations is
defined as the glide reflection. A glide reflection is commutative in nature. If
we change the combination’s order, it will not alter the output of the glide
reflection.

Symmetrical Shapes
• The symmetry of shapes can be identified whether it is a line of symmetry,
reflection or rotational based on the appearance of the shape.

• The shapes can be regular or irregular. Based on their regularity, the shapes
can have symmetry in different ways. Also, it is possible that some shapes
does not have symmetry. For example, a tree may or may not have
symmetry.