Projects for 3D Geometrical Shapes

Projects for 3D geometrical shapes are schemes for the study of the geometrical properties or aesthetic qualities of such shapes, with artistic or educational motives. 3D geometrical shapes can be made from paper or wood, or can be recognized and collected from among everyday objects. Such projects are accessible to students with special needs and learning disabilities and are also useful to primary and elementary students.

Paper 3D geometrical shapes are best made using nets. A net is a 2D depiction of a 3D geometrical shape, as if it had been unfolded and flattened. Nets include flaps for gluing, which give the shape that all-important structural integrity. You can make your own nets or download them from the Internet and print them. SEN Teacher offers several popular nets including the cube, cone and pyramid.

A group of children sit in a circle with a set of 3D shapes in the center to play this game. The teacher chooses a child. He must pretend to be one of the 3D shapes and describe himself. For example, the child might say: “I am a 3D shape with a circular face.” The other children, in turn, have a chance to guess what the shape is. If nobody guesses correctly, the first child expands his description. For example, he might add: “I have a curved surface that goes to a sharp point,” and so on. When another child guesses the shape correctly, she gets to go next.

The teacher draws a grid on the whiteboard, with 4 columns and as many rows as she has 3D geometric shapes. She writes the heading “name of shape” above the 1st column, “number of faces” above the 2nd, “number of vertices” above the 3rd and “number of edges” above the 4th. She explains what a 3D geometric shape's face is. She points out that two faces meet along an edge. She describes how three or more faces meet at a vertex and how the plural of “vertex” is “vertices.” She then chooses a child and a shape. The child must count the shape’s faces, vertices and edges, take the pen, write the shape’s name, and fill in the appropriate cells on the grid. Then the teacher checks the work with a class demonstration and makes any changes required to the grid.

Another popular project with 3D geometrical shapes is collecting together examples of them for display in a classroom. It might surprise you to realize just how many examples of regular 3D geometrical shapes there are in your immediate environment. A ball, for example, is a 3D sphere. Several milk cartons, or other food containers, are rectangular cuboids. A popular make of chips is sold in a cylindrical carton. Look for examples of other 3D geometrical shapes for your display.