Explore Prisms

As we build the hexagonal prism we look closely at the net. Students need to explore nets and discover which nets will actually build the prism.

Students explore hexagonal prisms. Count the faces, vertices, and edges. Can you find the rule for the number of faces on a prism?

Connect the hexagonal prisms to things we see in the real world. What about a bee hive? When you look at the hive what do you see?

Students construct triangular prisms with two congruent triangular faces and three rectangular faces. How could she make this solid look like a camping tent?



Nets of Pyramids

Exploring nets of pyramids is exciting for children. We start with Polydrons from ETA that link together easily. This is one net of a hexagonal pyramid. How many different nets can you find? When students have a concrete model to build they can easily see the faces, vertices, and edges.

Mathematicians collect data as they explore the faces, vertices, and edges of pyramids. They look for patterns and rules. This graphic organizer provides students with a way to move from the concrete to pictorial to the abstract. Children write riddles for their classmates to solve. For example: I am a pyramid with 5 vertices. What am I? Since one of the vertex points must be the apex, we know that the other 4 must be at the base. What polygon base would have 4 angles to form 4 vertices? The questions and explorations are endless!