Mystery Bag
OBJECTIVE:
Teacher Card
Math Objective
Teaching Strategies GOLD Alignment:
21b- Understands Shapes: (Blue, Purple) Describes basic 2– and
3-dimensional shapes by using own words. Recognizes basic
shapes when they are presented in a new orientation.
Math Talk- Child Vocabulary
Math vocabulary
2-Dimensional or 2D
Age-appropriate
definition
Mystery Bag
Hand motion
©
XPLORE
• Allow your child time to freely explore
the materials provided for this game.
• Describe the shapes. Talk about the
ATTRIBUTES (something that tells us
what an object looks like) of the materials. For example: number of sides,
type of lines (curved or straight), etc.
“Describe what you see.”
SK: “Can you find that shape on
the Shape Sheet?”
1
3
• Ask the detective to predict, or guess,
what shape is in the mystery bag. Show
your child the Shape Sheet and let them
point to their 2D shape prediction.
Want to learn more about
playing math?
Visit: www.zenomath.org
[Make a sphere by cupping
your hands together]
•Ask, “Is the shape 2D or 3D? How do you know?”
•Ask the child, “What attributes can you discover by feeling the
hidden shape? What attributes can you only discover by seeing
the hidden shape?” For example, you can feel if the lines are
straight or curved, but you can only discover the color of the
shape by looking at it.
4.
2D Shapes
Rectangle
Star
Circle
Heart
Square
Triangle
3D Shapes
Cube
Pyramid
Sphere
Cone
Cylinder
4
LAY
• Pull the mystery shape out of the bag.
Did the detective solve the mystery?
• Discuss the ATTRIBUTES of the mystery
shape (the number of sides, number of
straight lines, number of curved lines,
etc.)
• Try playing again with a new 2D shape.
(Continued)
©
• Play again, but this time place a 3-DIMENSIONAL (3D) shape in the bag. Ask your
child to describe what they feel.
• Have your child use their detective skills
to predict what shape is in the bag. Show
your child the Shape Sheet and let them
point to their 3D shape prediction.
• Compare the mystery shape to your
prediction.
SK: Open-Ended Questions
3.
LAY
• A shape has gone missing! Tell your child
that they are a
detective and their job
is to solve the mystery of which shape is
missing!
• Place one 2-DIMENSIONAL (2D) shape in
the mystery bag.
• Ask your child to act like a detective by
leaving their hand in the bag and describing what they feel without looking.
“Detective, tell me something
SK: about what you feel in the
2
bag.”
Mystery Bag
UILD
“It can hold something inside”
2.
“What picture did you see in your
head while you were feeling the
mystery shape?”
SK: “How does the shape compare to
your prediction or guess?”
“What do you predict is the
SK: mystery shape? Why is that
your prediction?”
“Flat”
1.
Rectangular
Prism
LAY
[Put a hand out and clap
the other hand on top of it]
3-Dimensional or 3D
What You Need:
Your child will use detective skills to
figure out what mystery shape is in
the bag. It may be a 2-DIMENSIONAL shape (2D shapes are flat) or a
3-DIMENSIONAL shape (3D shapes
can hold something inside of them).
“Does the mystery shape remind
you of anything that you have
SK: seen or felt before? Tell me 5
about it.”
START SMALL
BE PATIENT
KEEP IT FUN
UILD
• Place several shapes in the bag.
• Name a specific shape for your child. Ask
your child to reach into the bag and see if
they can find the shape that you named.
• If your child is unfamiliar with the shape
you named, then show them that shape
on the Shape Sheet.
6
“How could you tell that was the
SK: correct shape? What ATTRIBUTES
did you feel for when you reached
in the bag?”
ONNECT
7
8
ONNECT
• Play “Guess My Shape” with your child.
• Allow your child to describe a shape
while you play the role of detective.
• Explain that your child will be a detective
and their job is to try to guess what shape • If your child finds it difficult to describe
you are thinking of.
the shape, allow them to try to draw a
picture of it.
• Describe a shape to your child. Allow
them several tries to guess what shape
you are describing. Draw the shape to
provide an extra clue to your child.
“How would you describe the
“What part of my description
shape you are thinking of?” OR
SK: was most helpful? Why?”
SK: “Tell me about the shape you are
drawing.”
©
UILD Learning
…During Whole Group/Morning Meeting
»» Place a mystery object in a bag or box. Allow all the children to reach in the bag and predict what is
inside; provide three or four choices for them. Tally the predictions made for each choice in a chart (see
example to the right). Then take the mystery object out. Compare the mystery object’s attributes to the
attributes of the other choices.
…During meal time
»» Look at the food you are eating, discuss the attributes of each food item. How many sides does it have? Angles? Are
its sides straight or rounded?
…During Centers
»» In your sensory or science center, create a “Mystery Box” and place a different object in the box every day. You can
try placing different shapes, objects from nature, or any other object from around your classroom.
»» Have students reach into the box and feel the mystery object. Ask students to describe what they feel and predict
what is inside the box.
»» At the end of the day, reveal the mystery object to students.
Learning Trajectory for Recognizing Geometric Shapes*
Shape Matcher: Matches two
identical shapes. Shapes have
to be the same size and share
the same orientation. May
match two identical squares
or triangles. Next, the child
can match basic shapes with
different orientation.
2 years old
Shape Recognizer and
Identifier:
Identifies a
few basic
shapes such
as triangle,
circle, or
square.
Shape Matcher (more
shapes): Children can
begin to match a wider
variety of shapes with the
same size and orientation
(rectangles, rhombi). Next,
they can match even when
the shapes are different
sizes or orientations.
3 years old
Shape Recognizer
(non-typical shapes):
Children begin to recognize more shapes
such as non-typical
squares and triangles
and some rectangles, but usually not
rhombi.
4 years old
Shape Recognizer (basic 3D shapes): Begins
to recognize a few basic 3D shapes (sphere,
cube, cone). Describes
some basic 2D shapes
using own words (a
square has four points;
a triangle has 3 sides).
Shape Describer
(2D and some 3D
shapes): Describes
more 2D shapes
using own words.
Describes some
basic 3D shapes
using own words.
Shape Recognizer
(with transformations):
Shows that shapes
remain the same
when they are turned,
flipped, or slid.
5 years old/Kindergarten
ONNECT to the Child and Home
• Ask families to donate recyclables that are various 3D shapes (soups cans or paper towel
rolls that are cylinders, tissue boxes that are rectangular prisms, etc.)
»» During drop off or pick up invite families to join in helping to find new ways to use the
recycled objects.
»» Provide materials such as glue, tape, child-friendly scissors, etc. so that families can
create something new with the recycled shapes. Show examples of how they could
create a musical instrument, a bird house, binoculars, etc.
»» Ask families and students to create a new object, and describe what shapes they used.
*This trajectory and the ages associated with it are based on Teaching Strategies GOLD® and Learning Trajectories©.
The levels are not considered absolute. It is important to remember and respect that every child develops differently. For more information on
the trajectories and how they should be used, please create a login at https://www.learningtrajectories.org/user/login and visit their FAQ page.
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