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
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.
Curated OER
Geometry Practice: Classifying Solids #2
In this solids worksheet, students identify the characteristics of solids. They name solids and determine the number of faces. This three-page worksheet contains seventeen problems. Answers are listed on the last page.
Curated OER
Shape Up!
An outstanding lesson on teaching the basic shapes and polygon names to young geometers is here for you. In it, learners investigate the role of basic polygons in the strength of structures. They use geoboards, rubber bands, streamed...
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...
Government of Hong Kong
Areas and Volumes - 2D Shapes
Unfortunately for young mathematicians, the world isn't made entirely of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids. After first learning the area formulas for these common shapes, students apply this new knowledge to determine the area...
Exploratorium
Geometry Scavenger Hunt
One of the nice things about geometry is that it's all around us. The activity presented here has elementary schoolers go out to the playground to identify and name a variety of geometric shapes. They perform a "geometric scavenger hunt"...
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.
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...
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
Guess My Shape
Learners play a game with shapes. They work in groups to identify the names and characteristics of various shapes. They give each other clues to see if others can identify the shape being described. This is a great hands on activity.
Curated OER
The Greedy Triangle-Intro to Geometric Shapes
In this geometry lesson, learners read The Greedy Triangle and use geoboards to construct geometric shapes. They identify the number of sides and angles each shape has.
Curated OER
Third Grade Geometry
Third graders describe 2D and 3D shapes. In this geometry lesson, 3rd graders watch a PowerPoint presentation showing the terms used when analyzing shapes: vertex, edge, angle, side, and face. They compare shapes to see what they have in...
Curated OER
Geometry and Rubik's Cube
Young scholars explore geometry using a Rubik's Cube. For this 2-D and 3-D shapes lesson, students use the Rubik's Cube to find the center, edge and corner pieces. Young scholars then find the dimensions of the Rubik's Cube and read the...
Teachers Network
A World of Symmetry: Math-Geometry
Define and identify the three basic forms of symmetry translation, rotation, and glides with your class. They cut out and arrange paper pattern blocks to illustrate symmetry, create a Cartesian graph, and design a rug with a symmetrical...
Curated OER
Branding Circles, Squares, Rectangles, Triangles
Compare and classify 2-D shapes! Kindergarteners inspect the attributes of plane shapes and examine shapes in everyday life. They label the circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles they find. This is the website where you can find the...
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
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 of...
Curated OER
Measurement: 2D and 3D
Students solve volume problems. In this geometry lesson, the class watches a video about clean water (link provided) and individuals compare the volume of different prisms, including an actual drinking glass. Extension activities include...
Curated OER
Math-Literature Connection: Counting with Jack the Builder
Connect literature (Jack the Builder) with mathematical concepts. In a series of computation, geometry and number sense activities, pupils count on to add, count back to subtract, build cylinders, cones, and rectangular prisms, and name...
Curated OER
Marshmallow Geometry
In this three-dimensional shapes geometry lesson, learners identify geometric solids and name their properties. They define "face," "edge," and "vertex," and construct geometric solids using marshmallows as vertices and toothpicks as edges.
Illustrative Mathematics
All vs. Only Some
All shapes have certain defining attributes that set them apart from others. In order to understand this, young mathematicians look at examples and non-examples of triangles, rectangles, and squares, working as a whole class to create...
Curated OER
Finding the Area of Shapes
In this area of shapes unit, upper graders participate in hands-on problem solving activities to find the formulas for the area of a parallelogram, a triangle, and a trapezoid. They manipulate the geoboard to explore relationships among...