Mathematics

1st Grade
Time Required: 30 minutes

Musical Shapes!

Musical Shapes!

Lesson Design: Elizabeth

Renning

Overview
This exciting outdoor activity will allow children to
have fun learning and discussing a variety of
shapes through movement and music.
Objectives

The students will be able to identify the

following first grade shapes: circle, square,
oval, diamond, triangle, parallelogram,
trapezoid, cube, rectangular prism, half circle,
cone, and cylinder.
The students will describe one of the following
shapes (circle, square, oval, diamond,
triangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, cube,
rectangular prism, half circle, cone, and
cylinder) when their shape is chosen.
The students will cooperatively and positively
work together as a team.

Activities
1) Draw the following shapes in a circle so that
there is one for each student initially to stand
on (circle, square, oval, diamond, triangle,
parallelogram, trapezoid, cube, rectangular
prism, half circle, cone, and cylinder)
2) Begin to play the music, allowing the students
to walk around the shape circle.
3) Abruptly, stop the music and choose a
random shape out of a hat. Tell the class what
the name of the shape is that you have
chosen is and allow student(s) that are
standing on that shape to describe the
attributes of the shape.
4) Continue to play the game until all of the
shapes have been discussed.
5) Then, begin to switch the directions around by
describing the characteristics of a shape and
allow the students to guess which student is
standing on that given shape.
6) Continue to play game until all of the shapes

Musical Shapes!

Materials

Large blacktop
surface/sidewalk

Multi-colored chalk

CD

Some awesome first

grade friends ready to
learn!

have been discussed.

Adaptations/Teaching Tips

If the weather does not permit this activity, it

could be adapted to be an indoor activity by
simply cutting out shapes and placing them in
a circle.
Make the shapes large enough so that the
students can easily see them without any
confusion.
Play fun and appropriate music that will be
enjoyable for the students to listen to and
participate.

Common Core State Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1
Distinguishbetweendefiningattributes(e.g.,trianglesareclosed
andthreesided)versusnondefiningattributes(e.g.,color,
orientation,overallsize);buildanddrawshapestopossess
definingattributes.

Musical Shapes!