Geo-Man Lives!

My third grade team shared an awesome geometry project with me this week.  My kids have enjoyed it so much that I want to share it with you.  It's called Geo-man (or woman)!

First, you'll need to copy a set of the following geometry 'nets' on card stock for each student.  You can find FREE net templates for 3D foldable shapes at Vintage Teacher's TPT Store.  I recommend copying each net shape on a different color card stock.  It will help the students identify the 3D shapes more easily.  Here is the list to make the figure shown above:

1 cube
1 cone
1 square pyramid
1 cylinder
2 short rectangular prisms
2 long rectangular prisms 

Next, students cut out each net.  Remind them to be very neat and to cut along the "perimeter" of the net.  Do not cut off the tabs because they will help to keep the 3D shape together. I gave each of my students a gallon ziplock baggie to store all their parts as this took us more than one class period.  

Once everything is cut out, we began to fold.  The side without lines should be facing their desk.  Each shape must be folded with a sharp crease on every solid or dotted line.  This is a great opportunity to point out the 2D shapes of all the faces and to show congruency by folding up like faces.  For example, fold all sides of the cube so only one square is showing.  

Once you start putting the faces into place to make the 3D shape, some students may experience a little frustration.  I try to guide them through it without doing it for them.  If poor cutting is preventing the shape from coming together, you might need to do a little "surgery" to help it fit correctly.  

Now it is time to GLUE!  There are lots of ways of doing this, but you will know the best way for your class.  My students seem to over-do-it with glue.  So, I divided them into partners and they shared a paper plate with a little puddle of glue.  The glue was applied with Q-Tips. This worked very well. One of my team members has the students use glue bottles; another uses glue sticks.  You could also use tape or glue dots.  

The final step is to put the figure together.  This is best achieved with a glue gun used by the teacher.  Once the figure is put together, the students can decorate the Geo-man (or woman) as they wish.  Decorating items might include googly eyes, yarn, sequins, raffia, scraps of fabric, etc.  

A variation of the project is to have the students create their own figure using the nets they have been given.  If you have any other ideas, I would love to hear them!

Most of my class's figures will be done this week.  I will take some pictures and post them.  

Have a great week!!!