Introduce the shapes-do a shape search in the room Have a paper bag for each kid- have some object in the bag representing each of the 3D shapes- Cans for cylinders, boxes, cubes, balls for spheres, cone shapes, pyramids...have kids feel in the bags you give them and identify by touch which shape they have... Do experiments with the shapes- do they roll? how many sides? how many 'points' (vertices)? Trace each of the different shape 'sides' (faces) of each 3D shape..
I like the bag idea. I'll have to do that tomorrow. I plan on haveing the kids build a cube using sticks and playdough. I also have a candy bag with examples: marshmallow: cylinder, kiss:cone, candy corn: cone, whoppers:sphere, caramel:cube. We've also already done a shape hunt around the class and recorded how many by making tallies. On Thursday we searched for shapes in magazines. We have 2 more weeks, so I'm trying to find lots of ideas to add to what I've done so far. My kids are really having a hard time understanding the difference between a circle and a sphere. Its like they are not getting the concept that they are SOLID shapes.
I love making a food graph with the 3-d shapes (and eating it ) Sphere - Yogos yogurt balls Cube - cheese cubes (come premade next to shredded cheese) Cone - bugles Cylinder - combos filled pretzel snacks
Oooh... I love this idea!!! Compare those shapes to like ritz crackers circle, wheat thins squares...
Bugles aren't really cones- cones are solid shapes, bugles have that darn open end...I guess for K though they get the general idea... Also the cracker thing is a cute idea but crackers DO have depth...so they too are '3-D'- shapes... I know, I'm picky...
I never said round crackers were spheres, just 3D...'Puffy circles' would actually be 'cylinders'...if not for those darn ridges on the sides of a Ritz!!:huh:
i have them go outside and play with beach balls (spheres) and frisbees (circles) and we compare how well they travel through the air... frisbees are flat so they slice through the air. beach balls are solid so they hit more air and kind of float. we aren't allowed to call them balls and frisbees when throwing and catching... we have to say spheres and circles.
Lot of great ideas! This isn't very exciting, but I added 3D shapes to my calendar routine starting at the first day of school. The words can be difficult for them to remember if they have never been exposed before. I show the shape and they say the name. It only takes about a minute and hopefully by the time we get to our 3D shape unit I won't be spending the whole time getting them to remember the names and we can do more of an inquiry into their characteristics.
Old thread but I'm opening it again! Some great ideas here but I generally teach with themes,not a specific math time. Any ideas how to incorporate teaching 3D shapes into my themes?
