Objectives  Learn shapes and colors in English and Spanish; classify and categorize by

Teaching Guide
shape and color; learn types of sentences; ask and answer questions; compare and contrast
Figuras de colores/Colorful Shapes
Materials  wooden or plastic blocks; cut-out shapes; glue; crayons or colored pencils;
construction paper

30 minutes, Days 1–3

Build Background
Activate Prior Knowledge  Tell children: Today, you will learn about shapes
and colors./Hoy aprenderán sobre figuras y colores. One by one, show a wooden or
plastic block shape to the class. Have children name the shape and color in
English and Spanish: What shape is this? (triangle)/¿Qué figura es? (triángulo)/What
color is it? (red)/¿De qué color es? (rojo) Then point out objects in the classroom
and have children name their shapes (clock: circle/reloj: círculo, brick: rectangle/
ladrillo: rectángulo, etc.).

Introduce the Focus Skill: Types of Sentences  Tell children that

questions ask something and exclamations tell about something in an excited
or enthusastic way. Explain that in English, question marks and exclamation
points are placed at the end of sentences only, but in Spanish they are also
placed at the beginning. Write a question and an exclamation in English and
Spanish on the board to show children the difference, for example: How are
you?/¿Cómo estás?/I’m great!/¡Estoy genial! Use correct intonation as you read
the question and exclamation sentences. Have children repeat after you.

Acquire New Vocabulary  Introduce the shape names in the book: triangle/triángulo, square/cuadrado,
circle/círculo, rectangle/rectángulo. Say the names of the shapes in English and Spanish. Use the block shapes you showed
to the class during the Activate Prior Knowledge activity and ask what their shapes and colors are. Have children correct you if
you are wrong. For instance: Is this a green rectangle? (No, it’s a green circle.)/¿Es un rectángulo verde? (No, es un círculo verde.) Then have the class
count the sides of each shape. Encourage them to take turns feeling the sides of the shapes. Ask them to tell you how many sides a
triangle, square, and rectangle have, respectively. Review shapes in both languages as a class.

Read and Respond  Display the book. Read the title and author name aloud as you track the print. Point out the shapes in the
book as you read. Have children repeat the name of the color on each page. When reading is complete, encourage children to look for
shapes and colors in their desks or on their clothing that match the shapes and colors mentioned in the book (i.e. a rectangular pink
eraser, a red-checkered shirt, etc.)

60 minutes, Days 4–5

+= Curricular Enrichment: Math  Tell children that they will build or make something using different shapes (a
building, an animal, a train, etc.) Distribute cut-out shapes, construction paper, glue, and crayons or colored pencils to the
MATH
class. Children will create things by gluing the cut-out shapes to the construction paper. Possibilities include: a kite made up
of two triangles; a house with a square for the main part, a triangle for the roof, and a rectangle for the chimney; an ant with
three connected circles for the body and lines drawn for the legs; a yellow circle for the sun. For teachers who have wooden or
plastic blocks, have children take turns building things. Then ask each child to tell you how many shapes he/she used to make
his/her creation. Compare and contrast the creations as a class.

Home Connection  (Teacher, you may want to photocopy NATIONAL STANDARDS

this activity for children to complete with a family member.)
Talk with your child about the shapes he/she learned about in
school. Ask your child to look around the house for shapes and
to tell you what they are (tiles are squares, clocks are circles,
TVs are rectangles, etc.). Encourage him/her to incorporate
color words in the descriptions and to make complete sentences
in both English and Spanish (The tile is yellow and square./La losa es
un cuadrado amarillo.)
Language Arts: K-12.1, K-12.3—K-12.12
Mathematics: Numbers PK-2.1, PK-2.2; Algebra PK-2.1, PK-2.4; Geometry PK-2.1—PK-2.4;
Data & Analysis PK-2.1; Connections PK-12.3; Representations PK-12.1, PK-12.3
Science: K-4.1, K-4.2, K-4.4
Social Studies: Geography: K-12.1, K-12.2
Visual Arts: K-4.1, K-4.2, K-4.3, K-4.5, K-4.6
Foreign Language: K-12.1, K-12.3, K-12.4, K-12.5

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