Volume and surface area: online games and resources
This is an annotated and hand-picked list of online games, worksheets, activities, and tutorials related to identifying solids (3-dimensional shapes), volume, and surface area, approximately for grades 4-7.
Solids (3-D shapes), volume, and surface area
Interactive 3-Dimensional Shapes (Solids)
With this interactive 3-D shape explorer, you can visualize and rotate the following solids: cube, cuboid (a.k.a rectangular prism), tetrahedron, square pyramid, octahedron, triangular prism, and cylinder. Drag the shape with the mouse to rotate it. See the net of each solid (click the button "unfold"). The activity allows students to easily count the number of faces, edges, and vertices of the solids.
/interactives/
Interactive Unit Cubes Tool
This unit cube activity helps students understand 3-dimensional space, visualize solids in it, and to understand the basic idea of volume. It's most useful for grades 3-5. You're given a shape made with unit cubes on the left and you need to build the same shape in the workarea on the right.
/interactives/
Identify solids
Select the name and drop it on the correct solid.
www.softschools.com/math/geometry/shapes/
2-D and 3-D Shapes
Learn about different solids and rotate them.
www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/
Identify solids
Click to identify the partially buried 3-dimensional shapes.
www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/
Worksheets for the volume & surface area of rectangular prisms
Customizable worksheets for volume / surface area of cubes & rectangular prisms. Includes the option of using fractional edge lengths.
/worksheets/
Key to Geometry Workbooks
Here is a non-intimidating way to prepare students for formal geometry. Key to Geometry workbooks introduce students to a wide range of geometric discoveries as they do step-by-step constructions. Using only a pencil, compass, and straightedge, students begin by drawing lines, bisecting angles, and reproducing segments. Later they do sophisticated constructions involving over a dozen steps-and are prompted to form their own generalizations. When they finish, students will have been introduced to 134 geometric terms and will be ready to tackle formal proofs.
Math Mammoth Geometry 2
A textbook/workbook together for grades 6-7, written by the owner of this site. It continues the study of geometry after Math Mammoth Geometry 1, continually emphasizing conceptual understanding, besides calculation-type exercises. Price: $5.70 download, $10.40 printed.
www.mathmammoth.com/geometry_2.php
Cuboid Exploder and Isometric Shape Exploder
These interactive demonstrations let you see either various cuboids (a.k.a. boxes or rectangular prisms) or various shapes made of unit cubes, and then "explode" them to the unit cubes, illustrating volume.
www.teacherled.com/resources/cuboidexplode/cuboidexplodeload.html and
www.teacherled.com/resources/
Volume Shoot Game
Shoot (select) the shapes with a given volume in cubic units. They also have more similar geometry games (select/shoot different shapes).
www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/
Math Mammoth Geometry Worksheets Collection
A collection of quality worksheets with variable problems for grades 3-8. Topics include angle relationships, triangles, quadrilaterals, congruency, similar figures, constructions, area, volume, and the Pythagorean Theorem. Price: $9.00 download.
www.mathmammoth.com/worksheets/
Interactivate: Surface Area and Volume
Explore or calculate the surface area and volume of rectangular prisms and triangular prisms. You can change the base, height, and depth interactively.
www.shodor.org/interactivate/
Geometry Volume/Surface Area Quiz from ThatQuiz.org
An online quiz, asking either the volume or surface area of cubes, prisms, spheres, cylinders, or cones. You can modify the quiz parameters to your liking, for example to omit some shapes, solve only for volume or surface area, or instead of solving for volume/surface area, you solve for an unknown dimension (side or radius) when the volume or surface area is given.
www.thatquiz.org/tq-4/?-j3vu0-lc-m2kc0-na-p0
Polyhedra in the Classroom
With this list of internet based activities you can go through a
comprehensive study of polyhedra according to objectives of 8th grade.
mathforum.org/alejandre/
Studying Polyhedra
Introduction of the concept, links, great applet illustrating the 5 regular polyhedra.
mathforum.org/alejandre/
| Dr. Math Introduces Geometry: Learning Geometry is Easy! Just ask Dr. Math! A supplement to middle school geometry, Dr. Math Introduces Geometry has a light tone, clear layout, and humorous cartoons by Jessica Wolk-Stanley. The best part is that the explanations to math questions are accurate and clear. You'll find answers to dozens of real questions from students who needed help understanding the basic concepts of geometry. This book covers angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, area, perimeter, Pi, circle parts, polyhedra, surface area, volume, nets, congruent transformations, and symmetry. Price ~$12 new, ~$1-6 used. |
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Making Cuboids
An interactive activity - explore the surface area and volume of a cuboid, calculate them, or find the volume when the areas of the faces are known.
www.mrbartonmaths.com/resources/keystage3/
Paper Models of Polyhedra
This site provides hundreds of free printable paper models for various solids, including platonic solids, pyramids, and lots of polyhedra. Some are available as colored versions also.
www.korthalsaltes.com
Volume of right rectangular prisms with fractional edges
Word problems from OpusMath - choose the ones you want and then build a Word document from them. Answer keys available. Free registration required.
www.opusmath.com/common-core-standards/
Dome Book
Instructions for building geodesic play-domes out of cardboard or plastic. The site includes two free printable dome models and a book that contains plans for constructing nine kinds of domes in any size desired.
www.geo-dome.co.uk/article.asp?uname=geomodel
Geometry: A Guided Inquiry
An excellent choice for high school geometry. I've written an in-depth review of this book and of its supplement Home Study Companion - Geometry, latter by David Chandler.
Harold Jacobs Geometry
A popular choice for a geometry textbook among homeschoolers, and well written. Please read my review.
