Everyday Mathematics Grade 1, Unit 8: Geometry and Time
In this unit, your child sorts and builds shapes, splits circles and rectangles into equal parts, and learns to tell time to the hour and half hour. Equal halves on a pizza connect to half past on a clock. This follows the subtraction strategies unit and leads into adding two-digit numbers.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Unit 8?
- Telling shapes apart by the attributes that matter, like number of sides and corners, and not by color or size. Learn more: What makes a triangle a triangle
- Putting flat shapes together, like two triangles into a square, and stacking solid shapes, like cubes, to build new shapes. Learn more: Building bigger shapes from smaller ones
- Splitting circles and rectangles into two or four equal shares and naming them halves, fourths, and quarters. Learn more: Halves and quarters of circles and rectangles
- Telling and writing time to the hour and half hour on clocks with hands and on clocks with numbers only. Learn more: Telling time to the hour and half hour
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
What must be true for a shape to be a triangle?
- It must have 3 straight sides.
- It must be blue.
- It must be big.
How you can help
- Fold a napkin or slice of bread into two equal parts, then four. Ask your child to name each part a half or a fourth and check the parts match.
- Point out the clock at a regular time, like 7:30 at bedtime, and ask where the short hour hand and the long minute hand are pointing.
- Build with blocks or boxes at home. Ask your child to make a bigger shape from smaller ones, then name the shapes they used.
Where kids can get stuck
- Calling any two pieces halves, even when one piece is clearly bigger than the other.
- Reading 7:30 as 8:30, because the hour hand sits halfway between 7 and 8.
- Thinking a fourth is bigger than a half, because 4 is a bigger number than 2.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- attribute
- A feature of a shape, like how many sides or corners it has.
- equal shares
- Parts of a whole that are all exactly the same size.
- halves
- The 2 equal shares that make one whole.
- fourth
- One of 4 equal shares of a whole, also called a quarter.
- hour hand
- The short hand on a clock that points to the hour.
- minute hand
- The long hand on a clock that shows the minutes.
- o'clock
- Exactly on the hour, when the minute hand points straight up to 12.
- half past
- Thirty minutes after the hour, when the minute hand points to 6.
Want to help your child master shapes and time?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
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Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does Everyday Mathematics Grade 1 Unit 8 cover?
Everyday Mathematics Grade 1 Unit 8 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.