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Classifying Polygons with Math Foldables

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Classifying polygons with math foldables is one of the best ways to help students better understand the properties of different polygons. By using 2-dimensional shape foldable in interactive notebooks or even on a piece of poster paper, students have a hands-on opportunity to explore the characteristics of each shape. In my book, hands-on = deeper levels of learning.

After watching my fifth grade students struggle with 2 dimensional shape characteristics for years, I finally decided to try a different approach, one involving classifying polygons with math foldables.  Since my students loved foldables, I figured, “Why not try it with geometry?”
So, I created a fun, new 2-Dimensional Shapes Foldable Activities Packet, just for exploring the classification of polygons, including quadrilaterals and triangles. { Need some extra practice with classifying triangles, I dedicated an entire blog post just to that topic! }

How I Taught Classifying Polygons with Math Foldables:

I started with teaching the 5 classifications of quadrilaterals: parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus and trapezoid.  They cut and glued the classification chart into their math journals.
Help your upper elementary students master their 2D shapes with this great quadrilateral foldable resource! Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom and homeschool students will be geometry experts in no time! You're going to love this 2-dimensional shapes foldable packet because it includes great materials for quadrilaterals AND triangles! Click through to see how you can use this with your third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students today! You'll be glad you did!
Next, we cut out and folded the 5 different quadrilateral foldables.
Help your upper elementary students master their 2D shapes with this great quadrilateral foldable resource! Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom and homeschool students will be geometry experts in no time! You're going to love this 2-dimensional shapes foldable packet because it includes great materials for quadrilaterals AND triangles! Click through to see how you can use this with your third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students today! You'll be glad you did!
I was able to show the foldable sheet (in pdf format) on the Smartboard (love technology!) and model how to fill in the information on each foldable.  In groups, the students used their classification charts to finish filling in the information and labeling the rest of the quadrilaterals. This photo is not great, but you get the idea. 😉
Help your upper elementary students master their 2D shapes with this great quadrilateral foldable resource! Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom and homeschool students will be geometry experts in no time! You're going to love this 2-dimensional shapes foldable packet because it includes great materials for quadrilaterals AND triangles! Click through to see how you can use this with your third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students today! You'll be glad you did!
After they had done all the labeling, the students had fun coloring and arranging their quadrilateral foldable into their Math journals. On the following days, we repeated the process for other polygons, including triangles.
Now, my students can not only identify and classify quadrilaterals and other polygons, they can answer the hard questions, such as:
  • True or False:  All parallelograms are rectangles.
  • True or False:  All rectangles are parallelograms.
  • True or False:  All squares are rectangles.
  • True or False:  All rectangles are squares.
Can you answer them?  🙂
Help your upper elementary students master their 2D shapes with this great quadrilateral foldable resource! Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom and homeschool students will be geometry experts in no time! You're going to love this 2-dimensional shapes foldable packet because it includes great materials for quadrilaterals AND triangles! Click through to see how you can use this with your third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students today! You'll be glad you did!

Help your upper elementary students master their 2D shapes with this great quadrilateral foldable resource! Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom and homeschool students will be geometry experts in no time! You're going to love this 2-dimensional shapes foldable packet because it includes great materials for quadrilaterals AND triangles! Click through to see how you can use this with your third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students today! You'll be glad you did!

My 2-Dimensional Shape Foldable Fun Packet can be found in my TPT store. Your students will love this engaging activity, and you will be amazed at the higher level of student mastery. Classifying polygons with math foldables really makes a difference!

Click HERE to see my post about using Triangle Foldables in the classroom.

You may also be interested in any of these super-helpful geometry resources:

       

Looking for more great ideas for teaching math?

Here’s some other blog posts filled with great ideas for engaging your students in math activities that will help them learn!

Thanks for following along. Happy teaching!
Shelly Rees

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11 Comments

  • Lopez Land Learners March 1, 2014 at 8:11 pm
    Reply

    Great activity.. foldables work for just about anything and my students love them!! The link opens up Chinese New Year Theme Books… just an FYI 🙂

    Susan
    LopezLandLearners

  • Shelly Rees March 2, 2014 at 6:17 am
    Reply

    Susan,
    Thank you so much for letting me know about the link. That was definitely strange….I have no idea how I did that! I've never even seen the Chinese New Year Theme Books before, but they were kind of cute …. 😉 It's all fixed now (hopefully)! Once again, thanks!

  • Danessa Kemerling February 28, 2015 at 6:35 am
    Reply

    I love this! Do you have a link for it?

  • Danessa Kemerling February 28, 2015 at 6:35 am
    Reply

    I love this! Do you have a link for it?

  • Math Giraffe July 4, 2015 at 4:45 pm
    Reply

    I love this! Both your triangles and quadrilaterals classifications look so great in this notebook format. And those True/False questions are SO important for critical thinking. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
    -Brigid

    • Shelly Rees April 26, 2016 at 6:38 am
      Reply

      Thanks so much, Brigid! I really appreciate your input!

  • Christine April 26, 2016 at 2:24 am
    Reply

    Love these. Can u share your pdf?

  • A Hutchison September 6, 2020 at 5:35 pm
    Reply

    I really wanted to use this resource for doing foldables with quadrilaterals. The information all says that there are quadrilaterals in the packet and when I downloaded I only have the pdf for for 3 (square, REctangle and trapezoid) Am I missing something?

    • Shelly Rees September 10, 2020 at 10:12 am
      Reply

      Hi! On pages 8 and 9 of the PDF, you should find 5 different quadrilateral foldables: parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, and trapezoid.
      Thanks for the question!

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    I'm Shelly Rees of Appletastic Learning. First and foremost, I'm a mom of 4 boys, wife of 25 years to Aric, and Wyoming girl at heart. I love being creative, making resources for teachers, baking cookies, Diet Coke, teaching, public speaking, and spreading kindness wherever I can. After teaching in the upper elementary grades for over 23 years, I retired early and focused on creating and helping teachers around the world with my teaching ideas and resources. I also serve as a mentor to hundreds of teacherpreneurs and help them get focused on growing their own successful businesses. With 100% honesty, I LOVE my life! Thanks for visiting! I hope you'll stay awhile and come back often. Read More

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