E1.1 Sort, construct, and identify cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones by comparing their faces, edges, vertices, and angles.

Activity 1: Technological Activities (Constructing Geometric Shapes)


Instructions

Construct various geometric shapes on the computer using the draw feature of a word processer.

Note: This kind of activity allows students to identify and compare three-dimensional objects according to the number of edges, vertices and faces, the type of faces and the congruence of faces or two-dimensional shapes, the number of vertices, sides, length of sides...

Teacher Moves

Ask questions such as:

  • Which three-dimensional object has only triangular faces? Are they congruent?
  • Which three-dimensional objects have a square base?

Source: translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Géométrie et sens de l'espace, p. 49.

Activity 2: I Fill in the Table (Recognizing, Naming, Comparing and Sorting Three-Dimensional Objects)


Present the following table to students.

Ask students to put a check mark in the second column when the property also applies to the square-based prism.

Cube Description

Square-Based Prism

6 sides

8 vertices

12 edges

6 congruent faces

Teacher Moves

Ask questions such as:

  • What is the difference between a cube and a square-based prism?
  • How are the two three-dimensional objects similar?

Source: translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Géométrie et sens de l'espace, p. 50-51.

Activity 3: Mystery Three-Dimensional Object (Recognizing Three-Dimensional Objects)


Material

  • three-dimensional objects

Instructions

Place the following three-dimensional objects on a table for students to see: a cube, a square-based prism, a rectangle-based prism, a triangle-based pyramid, a sphere, a cone and a cylinder.

Invite a student to choose, without pointing or naming, a mystery three-dimensional object and to inform you discreetly of their choice.

Ask the other students to try and discover the mystery three-dimensional object by asking yes/no questions. Clarify that the questions asked must be about the properties of the three-dimensional objects, including the number of faces, edges, vertices, and angle. The student who has chosen the three-dimensional object answers the questions.

The student who finds the mystery three-dimensional object chooses one in turn and has the others guess their choice.

Source: translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Géométrie et sens de l'espace, p. 78.

Activity 4: Guessing Game


Instructions

Here is my train composed of three cars:

  • my first car has six congruent sides;
  • my last car has only one identifiable apex.
2 solid shapes. A cube and a pyramid with an octagonal base. A dotted line is between the two solid shapes.

Find the middle car by its name and by the property that connects it to the other two. Several answers are possible.

Example: My middle car is the rectangle-based prism.

  • The prism with a rectangular base resembles the cube, because it also has eight vertices.
  • The rectangle-based prism resembles the hexagon-based pyramid in that it also has 12 edges.
Rectangular base prism

Ask students to make up their own riddles and ask them in class.

Source: translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Géométrie et sens de l'espace, p. 127-128.

Activity 5: Weird Three-Dimensional Objects


Instructions

Have students make cubes, prisms, and spheres out of play dough.

Remove a piece of the three-dimensional objects.

Ask students to name and describe the new three-dimensional objects.

If the new three-dimensional object does not resemble any known three-dimensional object, create an odd name.

Example 1

Slice off the corner of a cube, as shown in the illustration below.

A cube with one corner removed. It forms a triangular surface.

We choose to call the new three-dimensional object a cubi, an almostcube, a cubo...

It has seven faces, twelve edges and seven vertices. Three faces are square and congruent. The other four faces are triangular. One face is larger than the other three.

Example 2

Slice the corner of a rectangle-based prism, as in the illustration below.

A prism with a rectangular base with one corner removed.

We choose to call the new three-dimensional object a prismo, a pentaprism...

It has seven faces, fifteen edges and ten vertices. It has five rectangular faces. The other two faces are pentagon-shaped and congruent.

Source: translated from Guide d’enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Géométrie et sens de l'espace, p. 128-129.