[wadkins]

I am teaching solids in math next week. I am completely lost and need help. Does anyone have any suggestions, worksheets, websites to suggest? The kids are talking so much I can't think straight.

[chancesj]

create a 3D shape book.... put the name of the solid and a picture at the top of the page and have students search through magazines for objects that are in those shapes (soccer ball=sphere, etc.)

Print off pictures of different 3D objects and create a 3D shape sort or shape bingo.

Create a "shape museum" in your classroom. Post the names of the different solids and different examples of the objects to reinforce the knowledge of the shapes and the different places you see them in the envirionment.

Sorry I have nothing already made for you, but these are a few different things that my team shared with me and we just finished this unit!

[wadkins]

Great ideas! Thanks for the help.

[senior42]

childcraft has a set of solids http://catalogs.schoolspecialty.com/...l.asp?page=196

if these are put into a drawstring sack or box that a child can use as a feely box they can reach in feel it and then identify it by it's feel. I think you could cut them out of foam and probably play the same game.

[bhkteacher]

I just finished teaching solids in math. Here are some fun ideas for you to use:

*graph and snack - buy cheese cubes (cube), combos (cylinder), cheeseballs (sphere), and bugles (cone). Put these in a large ziploc and mix. Give a portion to each student and they can sort and graph. Tell the kids you went to the grocery store and bought some solid shapes - they love guessing!
*go on a solid shape search in your room - divide students up and each group has to find examples of each.
*send a note home to parents and have them help their child find examples of each solid shape.

Good luck!

[sevenplus]

I hate worksheets. We do as much as we can hands-on.

We eat solid foods as mentioned in the previous post. I do sugar cubes - cheaper than cheese cubes but not nearly as healthy! I just give them one each, though.

When I'm feeling generous, we do real ice cream cones.

We play "around the world" to reinforce the names.

I have students go on a 3-D shape hunt at home and bring in what they find. At a center students sort the shapes and then have some time to explore and play with them.

We build pyramids and cubes out of toothpicks and modeling clay. (You can also use marshmallows, but I switched to modeling clay because I always have some Muslim students in my class now.)

I have my students actually make the shapes. For pyramids and cubes, we have a diecut for our Ellison machine. I have them put stickers on the cube to resemble the dots on a die. It reinforces the fact that a cube has 6 faces.

For cones I've used a template. I've also used the cones they have at water coolers and I've used birthday hats before. If the cone is premade, I have them decorate it.

For cylinders, I give them a piece of paper towel roll. I usually have them wrap it in crepe paper.

For spheres, I blow up round balloons and they paper mache them.

Once students have made all of the shapes (I do this in centers), I give them labels with the names of the shapes and they label them before bringing them home.