With the different sheets of paper, ask your child to create three-dimensional shapes.
You may need to cut and/or tape the paper in different ways in order to make different shapes.
For some shapes, you may not need to use all of the paper. The squares on the paper make it
possible to still compare the amount of material used, or the surface area of the shape. Simply count the number of whole squares (and combine parts of squares into
whole squares) on the paper making up the shape.
Once your child has created several three-dimensional shapes, use the beans and the measuring
cup to determine how much each shape holds. This part of the activity will probably require
two people — one to hold the shape and keep it intact, the other to measure and pour
the beans.
As your child measures, encourage him to record the information in a chart, like the one
below. If you and your child know the proper geometric term for the shape, then use it. For
example, a rectangular-shaped box in geometric terminology is called a “rectangular
prism.” Otherwise, come up with your own name that describes the shape and lets you
distinguish it from other shapes. You may also want to have a column for the ratio of surface
area to volume (surface area divided by volume), which can be calculated later.
After your child has explored several different shapes, he may begin to notice some patterns.
Ask:
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| Which kinds of shapes seem to hold the most? |
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| Are there other shapes or different sizes of the same shape you want to try? |
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| What does the ratio of surface area to volume tell us? How can it help us compare
shapes when the surface areas are different? |
