Virginia SOL Math / Grade 4 / Measurement & Geometry

4.MG.5

Classify Quadrilaterals

What you'll learn

  • Identify and describe parallelograms, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, and trapezoids
  • Classify quadrilaterals by their sides and angles
  • Compare and contrast quadrilaterals by their properties

Words to know

Quadrilateral —
a polygon with 4 sides
Parallelogram —
a quadrilateral with 2 pairs of parallel sides
Rectangle —
a parallelogram with 4 right angles
Square —
a rectangle with 4 equal sides
Rhombus —
a parallelogram with 4 equal sides
Trapezoid —
a quadrilateral with exactly 1 pair of parallel sides

Why it matters Sorting quadrilaterals by their properties helps us describe tiles, windows, and signs and see how shapes are related.

Worked examples

Model ItI do

Why is a square also a rectangle?

A rectangle is a parallelogram with 4 right angles. A square has 4 right angles too, plus 4 equal sides. Since it meets every rule for a rectangle, a square is a special rectangle.

Try It TogetherWe do

A quadrilateral has exactly one pair of parallel sides. What is it?

A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides. With only one pair, the shape is a trapezoid.

Now YouYou do

A parallelogram has 4 equal sides but no right angles. What is it?

Think about which quadrilateral has 4 equal sides but is not a square. Check your answer in the back.

Practice

Mastered 0 of 11

Warm-up

Ease in with the basics.

  1. 1.How many sides does a quadrilateral have?

  2. 2.What do you call a parallelogram with 4 right angles?

  3. 3.Is a square a quadrilateral?

On Level

The core Quick Check from the book.

  1. 1.How many sides does every quadrilateral have?

  2. 2.What is a parallelogram with 4 right angles called?

  3. 3.How many pairs of parallel sides does a trapezoid have?

  4. 4.Is every square a rectangle?

  5. 5.What do you call a parallelogram with 4 equal sides?

Challenge

Stretch your thinking.

  1. 1.A quadrilateral has 4 right angles and 4 equal sides. What is the most exact name for it?

  2. 2.How is a rhombus different from a rectangle?

  3. 3.A quadrilateral has exactly one pair of parallel sides. What is it?