Shapes in Our World

Take a look around you...what do you see? There are 2D and 3D figures EVERYWHERE! In the photo is a picture of a 3D solid called a square pyramid. It's called a square pyramid because it has a square base. This solid is also made up of 4 triangles. Can you guess how many faces there are on a square pyramid? That's right...It has 5 faces! We can also classify this solid using other properties. A property is a word to describe a shape. Here are the properties of a square pyramid...It has 5 faces, 5 vertices, 8 edges, and it is a polyhedron. Polyhedra are three dimensional shapes which contain straight edges that connect. If you are thinking the word "polyhedron" sounds a lot like the word "polygon"...you are right! These words have very similar meanings. The only difference is a polyhedron is 3D and a polygon is 2D. A polygon is a two dimensional figure with 3 or more straight sides that connect. For example: An equilateral triangle is a polygon with 3 equal straight sides, 3 vertices, and 3 equal angles. Over the weekend go on a "Shape Scavenger Hunt". Take your friends or family on a walk around a park or neighborhood. See if you can identify and classify 2D and 3D shapes around you. Record your observations in a notebook or bring your camera along and take photographs of the shapes you discover! Here are some links to learn more about "Shapes In Our World"!
Shape Lab
Sorting Triangles
Sorting Quadrilaterals
What 2D Shape Am I?
Solid Shapes: Matching Game
Shapes Game
Buried 3D Shapes
Polygon Playground
3D Shapes-Net
Polygon Playground: Matching Game