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
to make different shapes. For some shapes, you may not need to use
all the paper. The squares on the paper make it possible to 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? |
