Geometric Solids Museum - Math Monday Blog Hop

I'm linking up with Cindy for the Math Monday Blog Hop.

As stated in Friday's post, we've been learning about geometric solids in math. To begin the lesson, I taught the class about the six basic geometric solids - cones, cylinders, cubes, rectangular prisms, pyramids and spheres. After learning the characteristics of each shape, we went on a quick "Geometric Solids Scavenger Hunt" in the classroom to find examples of each type of solid. 

When our scavenger hunt was complete, I explained that we were going to set up a classroom museum to display different types of geometric solids. Their math assignment that night was to go on a scavenger hunt at home and bring in examples of geometric solids they found around the house. You can pick up a free copy of the scavenger hunt template here.

The next morning, we all gathered around the museum. Each student had to hold up his/her geometric solid for the class and identify the shape using its correct name. (I always tell my students we have to speak like mathematicians and use proper math vocabulary.) Then, each student placed his/her geometric solid in the designated section of the museum.

My students have spent a lot of free time visiting the museum and looking at all of the different examples. I want them to understand that math is not simply done with a pencil and paper. The concepts they are learning in math can and will be used in their everyday life. Geometric solids are not just the wooden shapes we learn about in math. We find them around the classroom, in our houses and inside the places where we shop. 

Some of my students insisted that we needed to display "Do Not Touch" and "No Flash Photography" signs like the real museums. I gave them some scrap paper and they created these signs to hang up. Shhhh!! Don't tell them I took pictures and broke one of the rules! 

Heather