The Shape of Stuff

This lesson will involve students identifying, describing, and making solid figures.

A lesson plan for grade 2 Mathematics

By Bettie Davis

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Learning outcomes

Students will recognize and identify solid figures in their environments. Students will make solid figures with clay.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

60 minutes

Materials/resources

solid figures (cube, rectangular prism, sphere, square pyramid, cone, cylinder)

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss (Random House (Merchandising); ISBN: 0679886311)

chart labeled with the names of solid figures being studied

Technology resources

Kids Pix Deluxe 3 by Broderbund

Pre-activities

Read Dr. Seuss’ The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. Discuss various shapes from the story in retelling. Do a quick review of plane figures by asking students to point to items in the room shaped like circles, squares, rectancles, etc. Remind students the plane figures are flat. They are 2-dimensional. Point out that there are some objects that are shapes that are not flat. They are solid figures. Solid figures are 3-dimensional. Show students solid figures. Introduce each and briefly go over characteristics. Introduce teminology like faces, edges, base and corners. Have students look around the room and find objects shaped like the solid figures.

Activities

Pass out clay to students. Use clay to mold solid figures. Demonstrate molding each figure for students. As you mold the figures, count the corners and edges and faces. Students may use their pencil points or fingers to carve into the clay marking each edge, corner or face, making them easier to count without counting each twice.

A computer activity that goes with this lesson is to use Kids Pix Deluxe 3. Make a chart. Label it with the names of the solid figures being discussed. Have students use the stamp tool to stamp pictures of objects matching the solid figure shapes in the correct area on the chart.

Assessment

Students will have a chart labeled with the solid figures being studied. They will go home and find objects at home that match the solid figures. Students will put the shapes they find at home under the solid figure that they are shaped like.

Supplemental information

I found that in molding the solid figures, it is always easier to start with a sphere. The rest of the figures are more easily molded when you begin as a sphere. Banging the sphere on the desk creates faces. Rolling it makes it longer. The kids love when they get to bang the clay!

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