WebQuest - What in the World is a Shape?
by Pam Gaschler
March 27, 2007
Kansas Math Standard 3.1.3
Recognizes and describes the solids (cubes, rectangular prisms, cylinders, cones, spheres, triangular prisms, rectangular pyramids, triangular pyramids) using the terms faces, edges, and vertices (corners).
What in the World is a Shape?
Introduction
You and your partner are going to become shape detectives. Your main mission is to answer the question, "What in the world is a shape?" To do this, you will be going on a discovery trip.
By the end of your trip, you and your partner will be master detectives! During your trip, you and your partner will be collecting information and pictures about your shape. By the end of your trip, you will have become a master shape detective.
Task
At the end of your investigation, you will have classified several “pieces of evidence” into the geometric shape graphic organizer. You will be searching form information in the following categories:
• Cube •Cylinders
• Rectangular prisms • Triangular prisms
• Rectangular pyramids • Spheres
• Triangular pyramids • Cone
The Process
1. The mysterious part of this investigation is these strange names for shapes that are actually fairly common. So, you need to find out what these names are referring to in order to start your project. Besides an ordinary dictionary, encyclopedia, or math book, these websites will be helpful in your investigation. Record your finding in your graphic organizer.
http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math_advantage/glossary3.html
http://www.allmath.com/glossary.php
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/dictionary.html
2. Now that you have an understanding of what the shape is and looks like, you will need to find examples of where we might find this shape in the world around us. Think of at least one place you might find this shape. If you can not think of where you have seen this shape before the websites below may help you find that shape in the world.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/egyptjournal/photogalleries/pyramid/
http://www.pics4learning.com/?search=cat&query=Architecture_Buildings
http://www.pics4learning.com/details.php?img=prism01.jpg
http://www.pics4learning.com/?view=sub&cat=Objects
3. Wow, now you know what a shape is and where you see it in the world around you but let’s investigate a little deeper on some specific aspects of the shape. Investigate the faces, edges and vertices of each shape and record your findings on your graphic organizer.
Faces – are the sides of the figure
Edges- are where two faces join
Vertices – are where the edges meet (a corner point)
http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid/prisms.html
http://www.mathsnet.net/asa2/i1cone.html
http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/math_advantage/definitions/cylinder5.html
http://www.nrich.maths.org.uk/public/viewer.php?obj_id=2283&part=index&refpage=monthindex.php
http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid/pyramids.html
4. Extra Activity (to do at home):
You can also construct a model of your favorite shape that demonstrates your complete understanding and mastery of the subject and will be useful in solving future similar “mysteries.”
Shape Graphic Organizer
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Three dimensional Shapes |
What in the world does this shape mean? |
Where in the World can you find this shape?? |
How may faces, edges and vertices does the shape have? |
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Cube
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Rectangular Prisms
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Rectangular Box
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Ceral box |
6 |
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Cylinders
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Spheres
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|
|
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Cones
|
|
|
|
|
Triangular prism
|
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Rectangular pyramids
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Triangular pyramids
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