Support Materials --

Math for All-Plus

Shapes in Space

During this 30-minute math program you will help your children:

compare the volume of two different cylinders
have fun "discovering" what happens when 2-and 3-dimensional shapes are dipped in soapy water
compare perimeter (distance around) and the area (space covered) of various geometric shapes

Activity #1

The Long and the Short of It!
Materials:

Popcorn
Newspapers or packing material
3 sheets of 81/2" X 11" paper
Scissors
Tape

In this activity, using popcorn, newspaper wads or packing material, you will help your children determine which of two cylinders has the largest volume.
Start by cutting one of the 81/2" X 11" sheets of paper in half crosswise. Use the other two sheets of paper to make cylinders (tubes), one by rolling the paper the short way and the other by rolling the paper the long way. Tape the sides together to keep their shape and then tape each tube to one of the half sheets of paper so it has a bottom. Now, write down your estimate of which one will hold the most; or will they hold the same amount? Use the popcorn, newspaper wads or packing material to fill one of the cylinders; once filled, pour the contents into the other cylinder. Do you have some left over? Was there too much to put in the cylinder? Which cylinder holds the most or were they the same? Was your guess - estimate - right?
Additional Activities:
How much of which one of the cylinders should you cut off to make both cylinders hold the same amount?
For another activity, make three cylinders by rolling the paper the short way. Tape the sides so that one cylinder remains round; make another one so that it has three sides; and one more with four sides. Guess which shape will hold the most and write it down. Now, compare how much each shape can hold. Was your estimate the right one?

Activity #2

Geo-Bubble Investigation
Materials:

Clay
Raisins or Gumdrops
Toothpicks
Deep bowl or Bucket
String or Thread
Four sides

In this activity you will create different shapes and figures using toothpicks and small balls made out of clay and "discover" what happens when you dip these shapes into soapy water. (If you want to, you can use raisins or gumdrops in place of clay.)
Mix up a deep bowl or bucket of soapy water. First, make a flat triangle using 3 clay balls and 3 toothpicks. Tie a string onto the triangle and dip it into the soapy water. Do the same thing by making a square with 4 clay balls and 4 toothpicks and dipping it into the water. What do you see?
Now, make a "pyramid" using 4 clay balls and 6 toothpicks. What do you think will happen when you dip this three dimensional shape into the soapy water? Dip it and tell us what you see. Do the same thing with a cube made using 8 clay balls and 12 toothpicks. What do you see with this shape?

Additional Activities:
Make additional shapes and "investigate" the kind of bubbles each one makes. Using only triangles, how many shapes can you make?
Now use the triangles and ractangles to see how many shapes you can make? Remember to dip them into the soapy water - some of them will surprise you. Can you write a letter to a friend describing your Geo-Bubble investigation?

Activity #3

We've Got You Covered
Materials:

Different colored paper or newsprint
String or yarn
Scissors
Pencil

This is a game that you can play with 2 or more players. Tie a 12" (or longer) piece of string together to create a closed loop. Using pins, have the first player make a shape with the string on a piece of paper - a triangle, square, rectangle, octagon, circle, etc. Trace the shape on paper and cut it out. Have the next player use the same string to make and cut out a different shape from a different color of paper. Compare your shapes; whose shape is bigger in area (the inside part of the figure)? You may have to cut one of the shapes into pieces to fit into the other shape in order to decide which has the largest area.
After you have compared several shapes, can you guess which kind of shape will always have the largest inside area?