Unit 8- Blocks and Buildings

This second geometry unit in Grade 1 focuses on 3-D shapes. Students describe, compare, build with, and represent Geoblocks and geometric solids—sets of related three-dimensional wooden blocks that include cubes, rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, spheres, cones, cylinders, and pyramids. They also explore the relationship between 3-D shapes and 2-D shapes as they search for the 3-D block shown in a 2-D picture, and attempt to draw a Geoblock building, or build one, given a 2-D drawing. 

Activities to Try at Home

3-D Shape Hunt are everywhere. Talk with your child about the three-dimensional shapes you see every day—from the buildings in your neighborhood to the cereal boxes in the cabinet. Sometimes, describe the 3-D shapes. For example, “The roof of that building is shaped like a pyramid.” At other times, ask your child to look for specific shapes. “See how many cylinders you can find today at the grocery store.” 

Making Shapes Making shapes is a great way to learn about them. At home, your child may use clay, drinking straws, or a loop of yarn. Ask your child: 

• Can you make a shape with three sides? 

• Do you know what that shape is called? 

• Can you make a cube? How many sides does it have? 

You may also make different shapes and ask your child to name and describe them. Ask questions about the number of sides, edges, faces, corners, and/or the shape of the faces, such as these: 

•  I am making a 3-D shape. How many faces does it have? What shape(s) are the faces? 

• Do you know what this shape is called? 

Draw a Building Our class is practicing ways to draw 3-D shapes so that they look like they “pop” off the paper. There are many ways to do this. Ask your child to choose a familiar building—perhaps your house or one that you can see from a window. Talk about the building’s shapes and then ask your child to draw and label the building in a way that makes sense to them. Some children like to draw the building from different perspectives, or points of view. Others like to use dotted lines to show what is not visible from the front.

Building with Shapes Gather 3-D building blocks, construction toys, or empty boxes and cans that your child can use to build. Children can try to build particular buildings or even their whole neighborhood. Talk about shapes while they are working. “What would you call the shape you used for the first floor of the bank? What shape(s) will you use for the roof?”