K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Even or odd number of shapes - up to 20

Will everyone have a partner? 짝 Let's find out by pairing up shapes! If every shape has a partner, the number is even. If there's one left out, it's odd!

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 27 of 186

Concept

This is a visual way to understand the concept of even and odd. It's not about the numbers themselves, but about groups of objects.

The Pairing Strategy:
1.  Look at a group of shapes (e.g., a collection of stars ⭐).
2.  Circle pairs of shapes. Keep circling pairs until you can't make any more pairs.
3.  Check the result:
    *   If every single shape is in a pair, the total number of shapes is EVEN.
    *   If there is one shape left all by itself, the total number of shapes is ODD.
Example:
*   You see 8 triangles: 🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺.
*   Let's pair them: (🔺🔺) (🔺🔺) (🔺🔺) (🔺🔺). Everyone has a partner! So, 8 is an even number.
*   You see 9 circles: ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫.
*   Let's pair them: (⚫⚫) (⚫⚫) (⚫⚫) (⚫⚫) ⚫. There's one circle left over! So, 9 is an odd number.

Key Idea: Even means everyone can dance with a partner. Odd means someone is left waiting for the next dance.

Try it

Practice: Even or odd number of shapes - up to 20.