1. What is a Polygon?
Dr. Beth McCulloch Vinson
Athens State University
PT3 Grant Funding, Summer 2000

2. A polygon is…
a many-sided figure
a shape with three or
more sides.

3. What do we need to know
about polygons?
How many sides does each polygon have?
Do all polygons look the same?
Can I know the name of a shape just by
looking at it?

4. Triangle
A triangle has three sides.
1 3
2

5. Square
A square has four sides.
4
1 3
2

6. Pentagon
A pentagon has five sides.
1 5
2 4
3

7. Hexagon and Heptagon
A hexagon has six sides. (Hexagon and six
both have an “x”.)
A heptagon has seven sides.
hexagon heptagon

8. Octagon
An octagon has eight sides. Count the
sides.
If this octagon was
red and had the
word “Stop” written
on it, then you
would know where
we see a lot of
octagons.

9. Let’s Review:
The triangle is the smallest polygon. It only
has three sides.
A pentagon has five sides.
A hexagon has six sides.
A heptagon has seven sides.
An octagon has eight sides.

10. Match these.
Triangle eight sides
Heptagon three sides
Octagon seven sides

11. Match some more.
Pentagon four sides
Hexagon five sides
Square six sides

12. Key Question:
A triangle is the smallest
polygon because it has three
sides. Can you have a two-
sided polygon? Why or why
not?
Two lines don’t close to make a
shape. They make an angle.
1
2

13. The END
A Project Developed for
Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use
Technology (PT3)
By Dr. Beth McCulloch Vinson
Athens State University, School of Education
http://www.athens.edu/vinsobm