Identifying Solid Shapes

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Flat Shapes and Solid Shapes

A flat shape is called a plane shape. Plane shapes are 2D.

A plane shape is flat like a drawing on paper.

Examples of plane shapes include:

• circle
• square
• triangle
• rectangle

A solid shape is 3D. Solid shapes are not flat. They take up space.

You can often pick up a solid shape, turn it around, and see different parts of it.

Examples of solid shapes include:

• sphere
• cube
• cone
• cylinder
• pyramid
• rectangular prism

Meet the Solid Shapes

A sphere is round like a ball.

A sphere has no flat faces. It can roll in any direction.

Everyday examples:

• baseball
• orange
• marble
• basketball

A cube has 6 square faces.

A cube can slide, stack, and sit flat. Each face is the same shape and size.

Everyday examples:

• number cube
• building block
• ice cube
• small box shaped like a cube

A cone has a circle face and one point.

A cone can roll in a curved path, but it can also stand on its flat circle face.

Everyday examples:

• ice cream cone
• party hat
• traffic cone

A cylinder has 2 circle faces.

A cylinder can roll on its curved side. It can also stand on one of its flat circle faces.

Everyday examples:

• soup can
• paper towel roll
• water bottle
• marker

A pyramid has one base and triangle faces that meet at a point.

Many pyramids have a square base, but some pyramids have different base shapes.

Everyday examples:

• toy pyramid
• some building roofs
• certain food packages

A rectangular prism has 6 rectangle faces.

A rectangular prism looks like a box. Some faces may be squares, but the whole shape is not always a cube.

Everyday examples:

• cereal box
• shoebox
• book
• brick

Shape Detective Tip

Ask yourself these questions when you see a shape.

• Is it flat like a drawing?

Then it is a 2D plane shape.

• Can I hold it, stack it, roll it, or turn it around?

Then it is a 3D solid shape.

• Does it look like a ball?

It is a sphere.

• Does it look like a block with square faces?

It is a cube.

• Does it look like a can?

It is a cylinder.

• Does it look like an ice cream cone or party hat?

It is a cone.

• Does it have triangle faces that meet at a point?

It is a pyramid.

• Does it look like a box?

It is a rectangular prism.

Try It in Your Space

Look around the room.

• Can you find something shaped like a sphere?
• Can you find something shaped like a cube?
• Can you find something shaped like a cylinder?
• Can you find something shaped like a cone?
• Can you find something shaped like a rectangular prism?

Some solid shapes are easy to spot. Others are trickier because real objects can be made of more than one shape.

For example, a pencil can look like a cylinder, but its sharpened tip may look like a cone.

A toy house may have a rectangular prism body and a pyramid roof.

Solid shapes are everywhere. Once you learn their names, your world will look less flat and a lot more buildable.

Now that you know how to identify solid shapes, move to the Got It? section to practice spotting them.