If you’re looking for engaging and simple ways to teach students how to classify quadrilaterals, you’re in the right place! This topic can get pretty complex and messy, but I have the PERFECT 2-day plan that is simple, effective, and loads of fun!
Throughout this lesson, your students will work together to analyze attributes of quadrilaterals, discuss their observations, and learn all about the hierarchy of quadrilaterals. You’ll even get to take a back seat and allow your students to do most of the work.
Day 1: Attributes of Quadrilaterals
A few years ago, my teaching partner was searching online for a basic lesson on classifying quadrilaterals. We couldn’t just jump into the hierarchy of quadrilaterals without teaching an introductory lesson first.
She stumbled upon this activity from Better Lesson, and it was exactly what we were looking for. We made a few adjustments to the original lesson and gave it a shot.
Turns out, it was a HUGE success! 
All of the extra research and work we put into planning this lesson paid off. So, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of what this lesson is all about.
Teacher Prep: Print and Hang the Quadrilateral Posters
Before the lesson, I printed the quadrilateral pages as posters and hung them around the room. If you aren’t able to print poster-size, tape or glue them on anchor chart paper.
I updated the posters to make them more colorful, simply because I like bright colors.
Next, I divided students into six groups (one for each quadrilateral) and gave each group a different color of sticky notes. If you don’t have six colors available, no problem! Just have students write their group number on the sticky notes instead. Then, each group gathered by a quadrilateral poster to begin the gallery walk.
The main event: Attributes of Quadrilaterals Gallery walk
Once all the groups were at their assigned stations, they were ready to begin the quadrilateral gallery walk. As a group, their task was to write down one thing they noticed about all the shapes displayed on the poster.
Do they all have right angles? Parallel lines? 4 sides? Students wrote down one common attribute on a sticky note and placed it on their poster. I recommend requiring students to take turns writing on sticky notes to avoid any arguments and to make sure all students are participating.
Once all groups were finished, they rotated to the next poster and repeated the same task. However, they could not write down an attribute already listed. This rule forced them to analyze and discuss at a deeper level each time they arrived at a new poster. Because of this, some groups needed my guidance in the end since most of their ideas had been taken.
Lesson Closure
After students rotated through all six posters, we came together as a class and analyzed the results. The discussion that followed nearly made my teacher heart burst! It was rich with academic vocabulary and showed how much they learned about quadrilaterals.
To end the lesson, we recorded our findings in an organized table by checking off attributes of each quadrilateral and highlighting the main attribute that gives them their name. Students kept this checklist in their notebooks to reference throughout the unit. Grab your copy of this checklist by choosing from the half-page or full-page version.
It’s important to note that we only gave a checkmark when ALL of those shapes shared the attribute. For example, even though some quadrilaterals have right angles, not all of them do. The only attribute all quadrilaterals share is 4 sides and 4 angles.
Why you'll love this lesson!
My favorite part of this activity was observing how well students worked together and how determined they were to find a unique attribute. They loved being able to move around the room and collaborate with peers.
I also enjoyed stepping aside and allowing students to explore these concepts collaboratively with their group. Teaching doesn’t always have to follow the traditional “I do, we do, you do” format! I’m confident you’ll appreciate these parts of the lesson just as much.
As a result of this activity, students gained basic knowledge of quadrilaterals as well as the unique attributes that set them apart. It was the perfect segue into the next day’s lesson.
If you like this lesson, be sure to read Day 2’s Lesson where students attend a Quadrilateral Fashion Show. Here’s a sneak peek!
Until next time,
Happy Teaching!
P.S. If you enjoy podcasts, take a listen to Episode 36 of Elementary Math Chat where I share even more Geometry tips!