Grade 2 Three Dimensional Geometry Unit Plan Sheet
Lesson/
Sub-Task
Diagnostic
LG: Give the students the
questions to determine
what they know about the
3D geometry
Sub Task # 1
LG: distinguish between the
attributes of a property and
the geometric properties
Sub Task #2
LG: use geometric
properties to describe the
three-dimensional solids
Sub Task #3
LG: use geometric
properties to describe the
three-dimensional solids
Before
Activating Prior
Knowledge
Hands On!
Task
After
Congress
Today I want you to
remember back to you
studies 3D geometry and
we want you to use what
you know about 2D
geometry to help you
answer some questions.
Yesterday we looked at
geometric solids. What can
you tell us about the 3D
solids?
Give students the
diagnostic. Choose a 3D
solid and tell me about the
properties of the solid and
where you may have seen
the solid in your
environment.
Today I want to give you the
opportunity to explore with
the 3D solids. I want you to
think about how the solids
and shapes are the same
and different. Give students
the opportunity to build and
explore with the solids.
Gather students together
and discuss the names of
various 3D solids and how
you know they are threedimensional.
What is the name of your
solid?
How do you know it is 3D?
How are 2D shapes and 3D
figures the same and
different?
Choose several students to
explain some of the
discoveries they made
while exploring.
Write these discoveries on
chart paper for students to
refer to.
What is the name of your
solid?
How do you know it is 3D?
How are 2D shapes and 3D
figures the same and
different?
What are the properties of
3D solids?
Review the 2D Properties
chart the students cocreated during the 2D
geometry unit (sides,
vertices, angels). Tell
students that we need to
create a properties chart for
3D solids.
Allow students the
opportunity to choose two
different 3D solids from the
bin and ask them to
discover:
The number of edges.
The number of vertices.
The number of faces.
The 2D shapes that make
the 3D solid.
Choose several students to
explain some of the
discoveries they made
while exploring.
Finish Co-creating the 3D
Properties Chart with the
students
The students will have the
opportunity to create their
own properties chart:
Students will take 3D solids
from the bin and fill in their
own chart, focusing on:
The number of edges.
The number of vertices.
The number of faces.
The 2D shapes that make
the 3D solid.
Focus on strategies for
determining the number of
vertices and edges of solids.
Look for generalized rules
(pyramids, the number of
edges is double the number
of sides of the base).
How did you determine the
number of edges?
How did you determine the
number of vertices?
Is there more than one
shape with the same
number of vertices and
edges?
How do you know the
difference between a
pyramid and a prism?
What is interesting about a
sphere?
How did you determine the
number of edges?
How did you determine the
number of vertices?
How do you know the
difference between a
pyramid and a prism?
What is interesting about a
sphere?
How many edges does a
cone have?
Co-create a 3D Properties
Chart highlighting
Edges, Vertices, Faces,
Kinds of Faces
Questions
Sub Task #4
LG: use geometric
properties to describe the
three-dimensional solids
Ask students what is the
difference between an
attribute and a property?
Why don’t we describe
solids by attributes?
How do properties help us
in mathematics?
Students cut their own sort
activity to help them
determine the properties of
the 3D solids
Focus on strategies for
determining the number of
vertices and edges of solids.
Look for generalized rules
(pyramids, the number of
edges is double the number
of sides of the base).
Sub Task #5
LG: create models and
skeletons of prisms and
pyramids using concrete
materials and describe their
geometric properties
Show the students a
rectangular prism made
from straws and modelling
clay. Place it next to a solid
rectangular prism.
Ask:
How are these figures the
same?
How are they different?
Which is a skeleton of a
rectangular prism? Why is
it called a skeleton?
What parts does the
skeleton show?
Ask one student to come up
to the front and turn their
back to the students. Show
the rest of the class a 3D
solid. Have the student at
the front of the class ask
various ‘yes’ or ‘no’
questions to determine the
solid.
Have the students create
various 3D skeletons from
straws and modelling clay.
Ask students to estimate
how many toothpicks they
will need to make a
particular skeleton.
Invite several students to
show their skeletons to the
class and explain how they
constructed the skeletons.
How many straws were
needed to make a triangular
based pyramid?
How are all the skeletons
alike?
How are the skeletons the
same as 3D solids? How are
they different?
Place a “What Am I”
necklace around each
students’ neck, with a
picture of the 3D figure
hanging on the student’s
back. The students must try
to determine the solid by
asking a classmate ‘yes’ or
‘no’ questions.
Have several students
explain what questions they
asked in order to determine
the solid on their necklace.
What was your first
question? Why?
Were there any questions
that helped you to eliminate
some solids? Why?
Give the students the riddle:
This figure has 12 edges.
It has 4 long straws.
It has 8 long straws.
It has 8 vertices.
What am I?
Tell the students that they
are going to give clues
Play the Feely Bag Game;
Place a variety of 3D solids
in a paper bag. Pair
students and have the
student place their hand in
the bag and describe the
solid they pick up to their
partner.
Have several students
explain the clues they gave
to their partner to
determine the mystery
solid.
What were useful clues?
What clues were not useful?
Sub Task #6
What Am I?
LG: identify and describe
various 3D solids and sort
and classify them by their
geometric properties
Guide to Effective
Instruction Geometry p. 133
Sub Task #7
Guess My Figure
How did you determine the
number of edges?
How did you determine the
number of vertices?
How do you know the
difference between a
pyramid and a prism?
What is interesting about a
sphere?
How many edges does a
cone have?
How many edges does a
cylinder have?
What was difficult in
creating the solids?
Which solid has the fewest
edges? How many?
Which solid has the most
edges? How many?
Which solid has edges that
are all the same length?
Which solids have edges
that form a square (triangle,
rectangle)?
What did you learn about 3
dimensional solids from this
task?
What questions helped you
to determine your solid?
Could you identify your
figure if you asked only one
question? Why or why not?
What was easy about the
task?
What was difficult about the
task?
How did you know which
3D solid you had on your
necklace?
What was easy about the
task?
What was difficult about the
task?
How did you know which
3D your partner was
describing?
Sub Task # 8
Where Does It Go?
Have the students sit in a
large circle. Put the 3D
solids into two different
piles. Ask the students to
determine a sorting rule?
Provide the students with a
large assortment of 3D
solids. Ask the students to
work in pairs. Student A
sorts the solids while
student B tries to figure out
the sorting rule. Students
switch.
Have several students share
their sorting rules.
Sub Task #9
Relative Location: describe
the relative locations and
the movements of objects
on a map
Use the Learning Carpet to
model relative location.
Place several item onto the
Learning Carpet and have
the students determine the
path from one location to
the other. Ensure they are
using the language of left,
right, up, down or the
cardinal directions.
Have students discuss the
paths they took to get from
one location to the next.
Sub Task #10
Relative Location: describe
the relative locations and
the movements of objects
on a map
Play, Treasure Hunt
Have one student hide a
small object in the
classroom. Choose a
student to find the object.
Ask another student to
provide oral directions that
will help find the hidden
treasure.
Put out the 3 tarps and 1
carpet for the students to
explore different pathways
between items they place
on the carpet. One student
places two items on the
carpet while another
student determines the
most efficient path from
point to the next using left,
right, up down or the
cardinal directions.
When Colton leaves school
he needs to go to the library
first and then home. One
the grid lines, draw the
shortest path that Colton
can take. Describe Colton’s
path.
Extension: Use the grid
paper on the back to draw
two different items and
then find two different ways
to get from point A to point
B.
Culminating Activity
Culminating Task
Common Language:
Three-dimensional solids
Two-dimensional shape
Geometric properties
Edges
Vertices
Faces
Triangular prism
Acceptable Language:
forward, backwards, right,
left, up, down, horizontally,
diagonally, sideways, above,
below, beside.
Geometric Exploration
Centers
Assessment
rectangular prism
sphere cube
cone vertex
cylinder
square based pyramid
triangular based pyramid
hexagonal prism
Have several students
explain how they got from
one location to the next.
Ensuring that they model
prepositions.
Guide to Effective
Instruction p. 135 - 139
relative location
cardinal directions
east, west, north, south
left, right, up, down
horizontal, diagonal, sideways, across, above
below, underneath, beside, next to
What is your sorting rule?
How are all these figures
alike?
What properties do they
share?
In which group should you
place this figure?
What other ways could you
sort these figures?
What was challenging about
this activity?
Was there more than oneway to move from one
location to the other?
Why can you not move
diagonally?
What was challenging about
this activity?
Was there more than oneway to move from one
location to the other?
Why can you not move
diagonally?