Exploring Geometric Shapes

These hands-on activities make learning about geometric shapes more appealing to students.

A lesson plan for grade 3 English Language Arts and Mathematics

By Debbie Fox

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Related topics

• Learn more about English language arts and mathematics.

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Learning outcomes

Students will identify solid geometric shapes, using appropriate vocabulary during class discussion.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4.00 days

Materials/resources

• Book: Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi
• Solid Shapes
• Construction Paper
• Pencils, Crayons, Scissors, and Glue
• Mini-marshmallows and toothpicks

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

The students should have prior knowledge of solid geometric shapes and the vocabulary used to describe these shapes.

Students will draw and name solid geometric shapes of a cube, cylinder, rectangular prism, sphere, pyramid, and cone and list the number of faces, angles, edges, and verticles of each figure.

Activities

Review solid geometric shapes with a group discussion before beginning tasks. Give out the scoring rubrics and discuss them.

Task One

1. Read the story of The Village of Round and Square Houses by Ann Grifalconi.
2. Create your own village using as many shapes as you can.
3. Name the shapes you use.
4. Write about why certain shapes are used in houses more than other shapes.

Task Two

1. Design and construct a three dimensional geometric structure using mini-marshmallows and toothpicks.
2. List the geometric shapes used in the structure.
3. List the number of faces, angles, edges, and vertices of each figure.

Clean-up.

Have the students summarize the activity they have completed.

Assessment

Task One Scoring Guide (see attachment)

Task Two Scoring Guide (see attachment)

Supplemental information

Grifalconi, Ann. Village of Round and Square Houses. c1986, Little, Brown and Company.
ISBN 0-316-32862-6

Attachments:

• Task One
• Task Two

Related websites

http://www.quia.com/math.html
Quia Mathematics Activities; Game #14: Geometric Terms: Match the term with the correct definition.

http://daniel.aero.calpoly.edu/~dfrc/Robin/elem.html
Math Activities for Grades 2-4; Geometry: Shape Identification

http://aplusmath.com/cgi-bin/flashcards/geoflash
Aplusmath helps students improve their math skills interactively with flashcards on geometry shapes.

http://aplusmath.com/cgi-bin/games/geomatho
Aplusmath helps students improve their math skills interactively with a Hidden Picture - Geometry Version.

Comments

This lesson plan began in a workshop on “Making Standards Work: The Essentials of Standards and Performance Assessment” by Larry Ainsworth. The goal of the workshop was to take the mystery out of teacher expectations and the assessment process. It is important that the students be given the Scoring Guides at the beginning of the unit. Their success depends upon how much or how little work they choose to complete. Both attachments were created in Word.