Items you will need for this mini unit:

an assortment of 3D shapes including cylinders, cones, cubes, spheres, rectangular prisms and triangular prisms, in all different sizes. I personally prefer to use everyday objects from around the classroom, rather than a plastic set of 3D shapes, but of course you could use either. A mystery bag (even a dark pillow case would be fine). A small ramp (or objects to make a small ramp).

Lesson 1:
Discuss each 3D shape with the class, using grade appropriate language for both the shape and its features. Provide your students with lots of opportunities to handle the shapes, so they can feel the features of each shape. Use the shape cards and shape name cards to identify each shape, and the word name corresponding to each shape. You can then use the cards, as a matching game in your maths centres to review and reinforce these concepts. There are blank cards included, in case you would like to use other 3D shapes.

Following teacher modelling, discussion and hands-on investigation, students to complete the 3D Shape and Features worksheet. (There are two different levels of worksheet to choose from).

CRAFT ACTIVITY using poster paint, each child can choose a selection of 3D shapes and use the different surfaces and features to create a shape painting e.g. Robots, animals, houses etc. to display in your classroom.

cylinder cube

sphere

rectangular prism

3D shapes and features worksheet Draw a line from the 3D shapes to their matching shape names.

cone sphere triangular prism

rectangular prism
yellow, Colour the curved faces yellow, the edges green, the points red and the flat faces blue.

Write the name of each 3D shape, using the word bank.

3D Shapes and Features Worksheet

____________

___________

__________________

Lesson 2:

Review the 3D shape names and features from Lesson 1, with your class. Ensure that your mystery bag contains enough 3D shapes so each student will be able to have one shape each. One at a time, have a student come to the mystery bag. Without looking, they place their hand inside and choose a 3D shape. They are not to remove the shape from the mystery bag at this point, but should hold onto it with their hand inside the mystery bag. The student then has to describe their mystery 3D shape to the class. The student can then choose peers to volunteer what they think the mystery 3D shape is. Once it has been correctly identified, the student then places the 3D shape into its correct category pile. It is now the next student's turn. Continue until all students have had a turn. You can offer as much or as little assistance as is required, for each student to be able to identify and describe their mystery 3D shape, using its features. Students can complete the Mystery Bag 3D Shape Worksheet. I have included 3D shape sheets for you to cut out. They can then paste their 3D shape onto their worksheets. Students can complete the Mystery Bag 3D Shape Activity. With this activity, each child secretly chooses a 3D shape. They write the name of their chosen 3D shape onto the space provided on Activity Sheet A. They then write clues as to their chosen shape's identity, suing its features as the clues, onto the spaces provided on Activity Sheet B. They then paste only the top section of Activity Sheet B onto the allocated space on Activity Sheet A. Display these on a bulletin board in your classroom and let the fun begin, with the class trying to correctly identify each mystery bag 3D shape, based on the clues!!

Mystery Bag 3D Shape Worksheet I chose a 3D object from the mystery bag and its 3D shape was a

Glue your shape here.

Describe your mystery 3D shape using its features:

Lesson 3:
Use a pre-built ramp, or construct a ramp at the front of the class. Each student chooses a 3-D shape and completes the first section of the 3D Shape Action Worksheet. Each student places their 3-D shape onto the ramp and tests their prediction, to see if their chosen 3D shape slides, rolls or can do both. Encourage and guide a discussion about why certain features allow some shapes to roll, some to slide and some to be able to do both. Encourage the children to try all the different surfaces on each shape, on the ramp, for themselves.

Students then complete the rest of the worksheet. Use the Roll / Slide cards and the 3D shape cards from Lesson 1, to play a matching game. Art activity ~ Students can create artworks with the action of the 3D shapes. E.g.: rolling spheres such as marbles or plastic balls covered in paint, over art paper in a tray etc...

3D Shape Action Worksheet

My 3-D shape is a I think my shape will: I placed my the ramp.

(Colour your prediction choice)

roll

slide

both

onto

Draw yourself placing your 3-D shape onto the ramp :

(Colour the correct action) My

rolled slid both

down the ramp, because

roll

slide

slide

slide

both

both

slide

slide