Activity This Side Up
Discovery lesson: whole group
Objective: students recognize the faces
of a three-dimensional figure and
find which are congruent
Materials: variety of containers, such
as cereal and round oatmeal boxes;
scissors; and tape
䡲 Ask each child to cut along edges of
the box, so that the box can be laid
flat. (Keep tape available for repairs.)
When the box is cut, have the child
flatten it and trace it.
䡲 Color congruent faces the same
color. Label the plane figures found
in the tracing.
䡲 Ask children bring boxes and cartons
from home for a display.
䡲 When enough are collected, ask chil-
䡲 Challenge: Give children of outlines
of figures and ask them to predict
which ones can be folded into boxes.
dren to take one box and count surfaces, corners, and edges.
Cereal Box
Oatmeal Box
Activity Where Was I Sitting?
Application lesson: groups of four
Objective: students identify position
of a three-dimensional figure
Materials: solid figures
䡲 Organize children into groups of
four. Number each group.
䡲 Have each group member sit at one
side of a table
䡲 Put a model of an object such as a
cube, pyramid, or some other relatively simple polyhedron in the center of the table. (A clear plastic
model is preferred because children
can see through it to lines and
points not facing them.) Caution the
children not to move the solid once
it has been put before them.
䡲 Each child is to sketch the model
from her or his perspective on a
piece of paper numbered with the
group’s number. Solid lines should
be used for lines facing the drawer
and broken lines for those that are
away from the drawer.
䡲 Each student randomly gives her or
his drawing to a member of another
group. All students who receive a
Group 1 paper go to that table, and
so on. Once assembled, the new
groups study their four sketches and
decide who should sit in each seat.
䡲 Repeat the activity with a baseball
bat, lunch box, pencil, or shoe in the
center of each group.
䡲 Ask student to label their drawings
with the shape or shapes they see
from each perspective.