Students describe techniques helpful in solving spatial problems which utilize the notion that a model is a simplified version of something complicated. They utilize methods such as sketching or drawing possible solutions to a problem.

Learners engage in a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works. They create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. The students test their designs, which will be followed by a class discussion...

Learners discuss different types of sea turtles. They talk a about the characteristics of sea turtle anatomy. Students pretend to look over the edge of a boat in the ocean. They pretend to see a sea turtle. Learners create their artwork...

Students become familiar with the style of architecture of medieval times.  In this architecture instructional activity, students design a model of a medieval castle including its cornerstone. Students understand scale in their...

Second graders practice vocabulary related to measurement, mathematics, and dinosaurs. Using the engaging topic of dinosaurs, learners will calculate various information about dinosaurs and use measurement vocabulary. They will also...

Young scholars observe the advantages of camouflage. They design a well camouflaged fish of their own.

Students study insect camouflage. In this organisms instructional activity, students design and create their own 3D insect models to blend into a habitat. Students write a paragraph about the camouflage their insect has and explain how...

Host an exciting lab in which learners burn fruit rinds to better understand hydrocarbons. A reading passage and analysis questions wrap up the lesson. 

Build class community with an art project. Learners first examine and discuss works of art. They then contribute to a class mural by tracing their hands and decorating them in relation to their own cultures. The final mural...

Fourth graders investigate the Earth's rotation. In this Earth's rotation lesson, 4th graders realize that the rotation of Earth causes the days and nights on Earth. Students break into groups and use a flashlight and a sphere to...

Students build a castle to Ravi's design using the cubes. Students then make an original model of a solid object from diagrams which show views from the top, front, side and back. Students describe the reflection of rotational symmetry...

Students distinguish the differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells. Using microscopes, they examine a variety of plant and animal cells. Working in groups, they draw and label plant and animal cells and show the mathematical...

High schoolers explore the concept of circles as they construct a circle using a program such as Cabri Jr. Learners construct a chord and a diameter that are perpendicular, then measure the bisected chord and notice that both sides of...

Pupils examine the centroid of a triangle as they use Cabri Jr. to construct a triangle and its medians. The dynamic nature of the software allows learners to measure the lengths of the segments in the triangle and conjecture and verify...

Pupils investigate segments in a triangle by constructing a triangle using Cabri Jr. They construct segments within the triangle that lie on the midpoints of the triangle's sides. Learners then compare the slope of base of the triangle...

Eighth graders explore the area of astronomy. They explore Earth's neighboring planets. Students research a planet's characteristics. They develop a scale model of the solar system and a narrative about the planets.

High Schoolers investigate the perpendicular bisector of a line segment. They use Cabri Jr. to construct the perpendicular bisector of a segment. The dynamics capabilities of Cabri Jr. allow your learners to observe the lengths of the...

High schoolers explore the concept of right triangles as they construct a right triangle using Cabri Jr. Learners find the midpoint of the hypotenuse and construct a line from the midpoint to the vertex of the right angle. They then...

Scissors, glue, and an old book. Punches, crimpers, and rulers. Kids gather their tools and get set to create relief sculptures by deconstructing books.

In this lesson, students will learn to identify three-dimensional shapes by name and distinguish between two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.

While 3 Dimensional shapes are not mentioned specifically in the Common Core, they do include the term face which is more appropriate for 3D shape attributes.

A guide to support parents as they work with their students with two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.

Use Glencoe's randomly generated self-checking quiz to test your knowledge of three-dimensional figures. Each question has a "Hint" link to help. Choose the correct answer for each problem. At the bottom of the page click the "Check It"...