Year 5 - Geometry

These dynamic outdoor maths lessons help children explore shapes, angles, and symmetry through large-scale, hands-on activities. From chalk art and movement games to building 3D structures, pupils strengthen vocabulary, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning while making learning creative and memorable.

Lesson Plans

Creating and identifying 2D representations of 3D shapes

Develop your children’s understanding of 2D representations of 3D shapes with this outdoor lesson. Your children will use the space and various natural and classroom items to create representations while securing their understanding of shape vocabulary too. A simple-to-prepare lesson you can just head outdoors with!

Learning objective:

To create and identify 2D representations of 3D shapes

Identifying and creating different types of angles

The main activity of this outdoor lesson involves your children getting creative with chalk to create artistic designs that they’ll use to deepen their understanding of angles and symmetry. They will also revisit and reinforce learning about reflection, shape and angle vocabulary and how to use a protractor.

Learning objective:

To identify and create different types of angles

Finding missing lengths and angles

Have your children apply their knowledge and understanding of shape and angles in this active outdoor lesson. They will create and describe different types of angles and amounts of turn and solve problems in pairs.

Learning objective:

To find missing lengths and angles

Translating regular and irregular shapes

During this outdoor lesson, children will develop their understanding of regular and irregular shapes while working large-scale and incorporating physical movement to carry out and describe translations on a large coordinate grid.

Learning objective:

To translate regular and irregular shapes

Designing and building a 3D structure

In this creative and open-ended lesson, children will create a 3D structure to fit a purpose in the school grounds! They will start by creating designs using 2D representations and then use recycled materials to create a 3D prototype outside. This is a great lesson to revise all the skills taught in this unit!

Learning objective:

To design and build a 3D structure

Before you get started

Safety and sustainability is super important!