Grade 3 · Geometry
Construction of 3D Objects
Grade 3 geometry shifts from identifying 3D shapes to constructing them. A net is a 3D shape unfolded flat: seeing a cube's net and folding it back up reveals that a cube has 6 square faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices. A skeleton uses straws and connectors to show the edges and vertices without the faces. Both construction methods force students to internalize the properties of each shape, not just recognize it by appearance.
LESSON VIDEO
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Lesson video
A short walkthrough to play in class or assign for flipped/at-home viewing.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL LEARN
✓Identify 3D objects by their faces, edges, and vertices: spheres, cubes, prisms, cones, cylinders
✓Describe and compare 3D objects using mathematical attributes
✓Construct 3D objects using nets and skeletons
✓Understand that orientation does not change the properties of a shape
✓Identify 3D shapes in cultural objects: jingle dress bells, bentwood boxes, birch bark baskets, pithouses