Illustrative Mathematics
3-D Shape Sort
From the apple on your desk and the coffee cup in your hand, to the cabinets along the classroom wall, basic three-dimensional shapes are found everywhere in the world around us. Introduce young mathematicians to the these common figures...
World Wildlife Fund
Shapes
Investigate the properties of three-dimensional figures with this Arctic-themed math lesson. Beginning with a class discussion about different types of solid figures present in the classroom, young mathematicians are then given a...
Curated OER
Can You Name That Shape?
Learners use materials to build, investigate, and draw two-dimensional shapes (polygons). They combine the shapes they have built and draw from the pile to begin a round-robin activity to name and determine the attributes of a selection...
Curated OER
Classifying Three-Dimensional Shapes
Compare geometric solids based on their properties. Your emergent geometers use spaghetti and marshmallows to build models so they can examine the number of faces, edges, and vertices on polyhedra of their own creation. Resource includes...
Curated OER
Living in a Geometrical World
Students participate in a series of hand-on, online, and multimedia activities to examine 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes. They describe common geometric solids. They construct rectangular prisms using straws and ribbon.
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Geo Shapes
Invite your first graders to compose and decompose two and three-dimensional figures with this fun, hands-on lesson. They investigate and predict the results of putting together and taking apart two-dimensional shapes with rubber bands...
Curated OER
Identifying 2-D and 3-D Shapes in Crystals
Students view a video on making rock candy and identify the shapes they see while watching. In this 2 and 3 dimensional shape lesson plan, students recognize shapes and complete worksheets to identify them. Students build a cube....
Exploratorium
Building Three-Dimensional Structures
Are you looking for a good 3-D geometry lesson that includes hands-on activities for your middle schoolers? Look no further than this one! Pupils use centimeter grid paper embedded in the plan, along with detailed construction...
Curated OER
Geometry Vases: Ceramics Lesson
Geometric shapes are used in math and in art. Learners discuss the various names, dimensions, and attributes of geometric shapes, then apply that knowledge to design a vase. They use 3-D shapes to make a cubist-style vase out of clay.
Shodor Education Foundation
Cross Sections
Use this activity on cross-sections of three-dimensional shapes in your math class to work on algebra or geometry Common Core standards. The lesson includes a list of relevent terminology, and a step-by-step process to illustrate the...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math Lab
Create three dimensional objects in an applied science instructional activity. The goal is for your class to recognize, compare, and model shapes. Using cookie cutters and clay or play dough, they create models for three-dimensional shapes.
Curated OER
2: Isle of Shapes - Based on the Puerto Rico Quarter Reverse
Students identify both two and three-dimensional shapes. In this geometric shapes lesson, students listen to a teacher led lesson about the island of Puerto Rico. They look at the symbols and shapes on "Puerto Rico Quarter Reverse" on a...
EngageNY
Understanding Three-Dimensional Figures
You can't judge a book by its cover ... or a cube structure by just one face. A creative instructional activity looks at the shape of several cube structures described by level slices. The 20th instructional activity of the 29-part...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Insides and Outsides
Give small groups handfuls of unit cubes and then dare them to build as many rectangular prisms as possible using only 12 cubes. This engaging activity serves as an introduction to the volume of solid figures. In addition to volume,...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: Shapes
Shapes are really neat, and here's a instructional activity that will help learners identify shapes through song, touch, and sight. They sing a shape song as they bounce different shapes around in a parachute. They then read a story and...
Curated OER
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Teaching Shapes
Students identify two- and three-dimensional figures and associate them with real-world objects. In this geometry lesson, students are read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and complete several activities including a chart...
Curated OER
Lesson: All in a Name
Lao Tzu was the fabled author of the Toa te Ching, Lau Tzu is also the name of a large sculptural piece. Kids examine Mark di Suvero's larger-than-life sculptures in relation to the elements of art they've learner about. They examine...
Fayetteville Public Schools
I've Seen That Shape Before
The objectives in the resource allow students to explore the characteristics of simple solid shapes. Youngsters learn to recognize the face shapes, corners, and edges that make up 3-D figures by filling in a chart. Lastly,...
Learner
Solid Shapes
A collection of two lessons, kindergartners will identify two-dimensional shapes in solid shapes. They will develop basic knowledge of the components that make up a sphere, rectangular prism, pyramid, cylinder, cone, and cube. Young...
Curated OER
How many edges do I need to cut in order to open a cube?
Students problem solve to open a cube to create different shapes. For this problem solving lesson plan, students are given a cube and the shapes to open it up to, and they have to cut the cube open to make certain shapes. This gives them...
Curated OER
Paper Bag Butterfly Puppets
Whether you're using it to tell stories, explore the letter b, or during a life science lesson, these butterfly puppets will be a hit. Youngsters use crayons, tissue paper, and paper bags to create butterfly puppets.
Curated OER
Shapes Galore!
First graders create two-dimensional shapes. In this shapes activity, 1st graders learn about different two-dimensional shapes. Students have many hands-on experiences with these shapes including the use of geoboards, shaving cream,...
Curated OER
Shapes and Colors All Around
Students tour their school in a scavenger hunt to find primary colors and two and three-dimensional shapes. Students take digital pictures of the colors and shapes they find and create a class book of the pictures.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Representing 3-D Objects in 2-D
How does the shape of the surface of water in a container change as water leaks out? After tackling this question, learners take part in a similar activity with more complex figures.