How it works
To label the parts of the scissors diagram, write a name on the line for each number. Six numbers ring a pair of household scissors, and six more ring a haircutting shear drawn below it.
Read the full guide
Scissors word bank
In alphabetical order, to copy onto the board. Household scissors: blades, bows, cutting edge, handles, pivot, tip. Haircutting shear: finger brace, finger grip, moving blade, shank, still blade, thumb grip.
Three numbers on the blades
On the household pair, three numbers sit on the blades. The blade is the whole steel part in front of the pivot, the cutting edge is the narrow strip along its inner side, and the tip is the last short stretch at the far end. On the shear each blade has a number of its own, and the shank is the thin bar that leads from the crossing point to a ring.
- The shear's crossing point is drawn with no number. Pivot is asked once, on the household pair.
- Scissors is a plural noun: these scissors are sharp. One tool is a pair of scissors.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between scissors and shears?
Shears are larger tools of the same kind, made for heavier cutting, such as pruning shears or grass shears. Haircutting shears, like the pair on this sheet, are scissors made for cutting hair.
What are scissors made of?
Usually steel. Carbon steel scissors are one continuous piece, blade and handle, and are usually plated so they do not rust. Stainless steel blades are fitted with handles of a strong, light plastic.
How do scissors cut?
The two blades touch at two points only: the pivot and the cutting point. As the handles close, that cutting point travels along the blades, from beside the pivot out to the tip. A slight curve keeps the blades apart everywhere else.
Does the scissors worksheet have an answer key?
Yes. The key prints both drawings with their numbers and lists the twelve names in order, from blades to finger brace.