Geometry Terms

In second grade math, students will learn more geometry terms and will practice new geometry skills. Geometry is the study of shapes and objects and every year, more and more geometry terms are included in the curriculum. This is usually a fun unit that students look forward to.

Students will learn to identify the characteristics and properties of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They’ll understand the difference between shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, trapezoids, and parallelograms. Parallelograms are shapes with four sides and two pairs of parallel sides. In second grade, they might also learn second grade math vocabulary like the geometry term “quadrilateral,” which is a shape with four sides and four corners. They’ll also learn more about three-dimensional objects and practice using terms associated with those, like vertices, base, and faces.

Students will practice classifying and sorting shapes based on their characteristics or attributes. This might include how many sides, corners, or faces they have. They might also be asked to complete tasks like finding or drawing shapes that are quadrilaterals or parallelograms. The geometry terms similar and congruent will become part of their vocabulary. They’ll learn about lines and how to determine if they are parallel, perpendicular, or intersecting. They’ll also need to determine if lines are horizontal or vertical.