Properties of shape - Horizontal and vertical​ - Planning

In Year 3's exploration of the Properties of Shape, the focus of Lesson 7 is on understanding and identifying horizontal and vertical lines. The lesson commences with a starter activity that refreshes the students' knowledge of angles and shapes, asking them to draw specific shapes based on given criteria and then discussing their creations. As the lesson progresses, children are introduced to the key vocabulary such as 'angle', 'right angle', 'vertical', 'horizontal', and 'symmetry'. The class teaching input involves guiding students to recognise horizontal and vertical lines in various contexts and to understand their significance. Students engage in practical activities, such as using post-it notes to label these lines around the classroom, which helps to solidify their learning and provides visual cues that remain in the classroom for ongoing reference.

The lesson then progresses to identifying lines of symmetry, with a particular focus on horizontal and vertical lines. Through interactive activities, students learn that symmetry means having equal parts on both sides and they use tools like mirrors to explore this concept with their own names written in capital letters. To further challenge the students, they are encouraged to sort letters into groups using a Venn diagram based on their lines of symmetry. Key questions prompt the students to think about how they can remember what a horizontal line looks like, to identify lines around them, and to create shapes with both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry. The lesson concludes with a reflective 'Give me five' activity, where students consider what they have learned, the skills they used, and any challenges they faced. Depending on their level of understanding, children work towards different objectives, from identifying simple lines and shapes to creating their own shapes to sort based on their symmetrical properties.