Materials
magnifying glass
baseball cap or other hat
children's magazines
Instructions
p r E pA r AT i o n
l Create a "detective cap" by attaching a few colorful paper or foam shapes to
it.
l Display this "detective cap," magazines, and a magnifying glass at a table.
What to Do
1. Invite each child to have a turn to be a shape detective.
2. Have the children take turns donning the hat, selecting a magazine, and
picking up the magnifying glass.
3. Each child searches through the magazine and identifies various shapes as she
looks through the magnifying glass.
4. Talk with the children about the shapes they see in the magazine. Can the
children recall other objects that have similar shapes?
S o n G
I'm a Shape Detective by Mary J. Murray
(Tune "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a shape detective, (point to self)
Yes I am. (nod head, hands on hips)
I look for shapes (hand above eyes as if
looking far off into distance)
Whenever I can.
I can find a shape
That's here (right hand out palm up)
Or there. (left hand out palm up)
I find shapes everywhere. (hand above
eyes as if looking far off into distance)
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Invite one child to sit with you as she uses the "detective hat" and magnifying
glass to identify various shapes on the pages of the magazine. Ask the child
questions as she looks for shapes.
l Challenge the children look through paper towel tubes to locate and identify
shapes in the classroom.
