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Year 3

Identifying parallel lines

I can identify parallel lines and extend lines in polygons to determine if sides are parallel.

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New
New
Year 3

Identifying parallel lines

I can identify parallel lines and extend lines in polygons to determine if sides are parallel.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. If you extend the side of a shape beyond the shape you can identify parallel and perpendicular lines.
  2. Lines are parallel because they are always the same distance apart.

Common misconception

Children may overgeneralise that parallel lines can only come in pairs or must be horizontal or vertical in orientation.

These misconceptions are addressed in the lesson. You may wish to use these to create additional examples and non-examples to compare and share.

Keywords

  • Parallel - Parallel lines are straight lines that are always the same distance apart. They never get closer together or further apart.

In Cycle 2 children learn to extend lines to check if they are parallel. Take time to encourage discussion and prediction so that they are selective about which lines they extend to check.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Order the shapes starting with the shape with the highest number of vertices.
1 - Decagon
2 - Pentagon
3 - Rectangle
4 - Triangle
Q2.
Complete the sentence. This quadrilateral has pair(s) of parallel sides.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 2, two
Q3.
Complete the sentence. This polygon has pair(s) of perpendicular sides.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 1, one
Q4.
Complete the sentence. A pair of perpendicular sides meet to make a angle.
Correct Answer: right
Q5.
Select the correct end to this sentence. A trapezium has exactly …
… one pair of perpendicular sides.
… two pairs of perpendicular sides.
Correct answer: … one pair of parallel sides.
… two pairs of parallel sides.
Q6.
Name one of the two shapes that this pentagon has been decomposed into.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: triangle, pentagon

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? These lines are all parallel to one another.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: True
False
Q2.
True or false? These lines are all parallel to one another.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: True
False
Q3.
True or false? These lines are all parallel to one another.
An image in a quiz
True
Correct answer: False
Q4.
To check if sides in a shape are parallel, you can …
… use a right angle checker.
… draw your own shape.
Correct answer: … extend the sides to have longer lines.
… look really closely.
Q5.
How many other sides are parallel to the side marked with an A in this polygon?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 2
Q6.
True or false: If a shape has a pair of parallel sides it must also have a pair of perpendicular sides.
True
Correct answer: False