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
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
Applied Science - Science and Math Lab
Create three dimensional objects in an applied science lesson. 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.
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
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...
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
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
Identifying 2-D and 3-D Shapes in Crystals
Learners view a video on making rock candy and identify the shapes they see while watching. For this 2 and 3 dimensional shape lesson, students recognize shapes and complete worksheets to identify them. Learners build a cube. Students...
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
2: Isle of Shapes - Based on the Puerto Rico Quarter Reverse
Young scholars 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"...
Curated OER
Applied Science: Exploring Shapes in Nature
Explore geometry with your young mathematicians! First, have them color in different two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Then take them on a walk around the classroom. Can they identify different shapes using the target...
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...
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...
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.
National Math + Science Initative
Using Linear Equations to Define Geometric Solids
Making the transition from two-dimensional shapes to three-dimensional solids can be difficult for many geometry students. This comprehensive Common Core lesson plan starts with writing and graphing linear equations to define a bounded...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Science and Math (K) Lab
In this shape lesson, learners cut out tangram shapes and create different pictures with them. They look at 3-D shapes as well. There is a nice, hands-on component built into this lesson.
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
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.
EngageNY
Cones and Spheres
Explore methods for finding the volume of different three-dimensional figures. The 20th lesson in the 25-part series asks learners to interpret diagrams of 3-D figures and use formulas to determine volume. Scholars must use the...
Virginia Department of Education
Geometry and Volume
The history of math is fascinating! Utilize a woodcut primary source image from 1492 and posters from the 1930s to help geometers apply their volume-calculation skills to real-life questions.
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. In 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
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.
Willow Tree
Three-Dimensional Figures
Time to move into the third dimension! Learn the names of the geometric solids and count faces, edges, and vertices. Then learn to recognize nets that create a given solid.