Flat and Fat Slides Flat and Fat!
Learning about Flat and Solid Shapes
Flat
Solid
Can You Clap? 👏
A Piece of Paper
It is flat! Your hands can touch.
A Big Ball
It is solid! It takes up space.
Flat Shapes
Flat shapes are like drawings on paper. They are "thin"!
Circle
Square
Triangle
Solid Shapes
Solid shapes are "fat". You can hold them in your hand!
Sphere
Cube
Cylinder
Cone
Shape Detective!
Look around the room!FLAT ?SOLID ?
I found a flat ______!
I found a solid ______!
Flat and Fat Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Flat and Fat Shapes
Lesson 1: Intro to 3D
Learning Goal
Students will distinguish between 2D (flat) and 3D (solid/fat) shapes through tactile handling and the "Clap Test."
Materials Needed
Paper shapes (circle, square)
Physical solids (ball, block, can)
Sorting Mat (student handout)
Glue sticks & pre-cut pictures
The Hook: The Clap Test
Hold up a piece of paper. Ask: "Can I clap my hands with this paper in the middle?" (Demonstrate clapping easily). Hold up a large ball. Ask: "Can I clap my hands with this ball in the middle?" (Hands stay wide apart).
Key Talking Point:
"The paper is flat . The ball is fat or solid . It takes up space!"
Tactile Exploration (10-15 mins)
Pass around a bin of various objects. Have students hold them and decide: "Is it flat like a pancake, or fat like a potato?"
Flat objects: Index cards, coins, paper cutouts, leaves.Solid objects: Dice, tennis balls, glue sticks, play-dough balls.
Student Activity: Sorting
Give students the Flat and Fat Sorting Mat . They will sort pictures or small physical objects into the two categories. Use the simple language "Claps" (Flat) or "Doesn't Clap" (Solid) if they get stuck.
Check for Understanding
Question:
"If I put a flat shape in a book and close it, what happens? What about a solid shape?"
Question:
"Which one can you hold in your whole hand and squeeze? A drawing of a square or a wooden block?"
Flat and Fat Sorting Mat Name:
Flat or Fat?
Sort your shapes! Glue or draw them in the right box.
Flat
"Like a Pancake"
Fat
"Takes up Space"
Sphere Speedsters Slides Ready, Set, ROLL!
Meeting the Sphere
Meet the Sphere
It is perfectly round.
It has NO flat sides.
It has NO corners.
What is its Secret Power?
It ROLLS!
Because it is round everywhere, it can move fast!
Spheres are Everywhere!
🏀
Basketball
🍊
Orange
🌍
Earth
⚽
Soccer Ball
🔵
Marble
🫧
Bubble
Race Time!
Which will win a race down the ramp?Let's find out!
Sphere Speedsters Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Sphere Speedsters
Lesson 2: All About Spheres
Learning Goal
Students will identify spheres and understand that their physical property (curved surface/no corners) allows them to roll.
Materials Needed
Collection of spheres (tennis ball, marble, orange)
Flat objects for comparison (book, coaster)
A ramp (slanted board or book)
Sphere Hunt Worksheet
The Hook: The Great Shape Race
Set up a ramp. Hold a cube (block) and a sphere (ball) at the top. Ask: "Which one will reach the bottom first?" Let them go! Watch the sphere roll while the cube just sits there or slides slowly.
Key Talking Point:
"The sphere has NO corners to stop it! It is round everywhere, so it can roll ."
Guided Practice: Feel the Roundness
Have students hold a sphere in their hands. Ask them to find a corner. Can they find a flat spot? No!
Try to stack two spheres. "Can we build a tower with balls?" (Observe them falling). "Why not?" (Because they roll away!)
Student Activity: Sphere Hunt
Give students the Sphere Hunt Worksheet . They will circle all the objects that are spheres. Encourage them to look for spheres around the classroom as well.
Check for Understanding
Question:
"If you had a car with square wheels, would it go fast? Why does a sphere make a better wheel?"
Question:
"Can you find something in your lunch box that is a sphere?" (e.g., grape, orange, cherry tomato)
Sphere Hunt Worksheet Name:
Sphere Hunt!
Find the Spheres!
Circle every object that is a round Sphere .
⚽
📦
🍊
🥳
🏀
🥫
🔵
🎲
🌍
Can you find a sphere in your room? Draw it here!
Cube Tower Titans Slides Tower Titans!
The Power of the Cube
Meet the Cube
It has flat sides.
It has pointy corners .
All sides are squares .
What is its Secret Power?
It STACKS!
Flat sides stay still. They don't roll away!
Cubes are Everywhere!
🎲
Dice
📦
Box
🧊
Ice Cube
🟥
Building Block
🎁
Present
🔲
Sugar Cube
Tower Challenge!
How high can you build your cube tower?Let's build!
Cube Tower Titans Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Cube Tower Titans
Lesson 3: All About Cubes
Learning Goal
Students will identify cubes and discover that their flat faces allow them to stay stable and stack in towers.
Materials Needed
A large supply of wooden or plastic cubes (blocks)
A few spheres for comparison
Measuring tape or height stick
Tower Builder Record sheet
The Hook: Tower Trouble
Try to stack three spheres. Watch them roll away. Say: "Oh no! My tower keeps falling. I need a shape that doesn't roll. What shape has flat sides?" Switch to cubes and build a tall tower easily.
Key Talking Point:
"Cubes have flat faces . When we put one flat face on another, they stick together and stack !"
Tactile Discovery: Counting Faces
Have students sit in a circle with one cube each. Ask them to put their finger on a "flat wall" (face). Now find a "pointy corner" (vertex).
"A cube is made of many squares. Let's count how many squares are on your block!" (Usually 6, but for Pre-K, just finding 'many' is enough).
Game: The Tower Challenge
In small groups, students see how many cubes they can stack before it wobbles. Use the Tower Builder Record to draw their tower and record the number of blocks using tally marks or numbers.
Check for Understanding
Question:
"If you want to build a house for a toy, would you use spheres or cubes? Why?"
Question:
"Look around! Is the room we are in more like a sphere or a cube?" (Square rooms are cube-like).
Tower Builder Record Sheet Name:
Titan Tower Record
Draw My Tower
Draw your blocks here!
How many?
Write the number or draw a mark for each block:
Was it hard?
😊 Easy
😐 A little
😤 Wobbly!
Can you stack spheres?
YES
NO
The Both Shapes Slides The "Both" Shapes
Cylinders and Cones
Cylinder
Cone
Why are they "Both" shapes?
They ROLL!
Because they have a curved side.
They SLIDE!
Because they have flat ends.
Meet the Cylinder
Two flat ends (circles).
One big curved "belly".
Stacks like a tower!
🥫
Soup Can
🕯️
Candle
🥁
Drum
🧻
Paper Roll
🍦
Ice Cream
🥳
Party Hat
📐
Cone
🏗️
Traffic Cone
Meet the Cone
One flat end (circle).
One curved side.
One pointy TIP !
Roll or Slide?
Can a soup can roll?Let's put them to the test!
The Both Shapes Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
The Both Shapes
Lesson 4: Cylinders & Cones
Learning Goal
Students will identify cylinders and cones and understand they can both roll (on curved sides) and slide/stack (on flat ends).
Materials Needed
Empty cans, paper towel rolls, glue sticks
Party hats, traffic cones (toy size)
Ramp (from Lesson 2)
Roll or Slide Worksheet
The Hook: The Can Mystery
Hold a soup can upright on a table. Try to push it. "It slides like a block!" Now lay it on its side and give it a tiny push. "Wait! Now it's rolling like a ball!"
Key Talking Point:
"Cylinders and cones are special! They have flat parts for sliding and curved parts for rolling."
Investigation: Pointy or Not?
Compare a cylinder (can) and a cone (hat).
Cylinder: Has two flat circles. Can you stack another can on top? (Yes!)Cone: Has only one flat circle. It has a pointy top. Can you stack something on the point? (No!)
Activity: Roll or Slide?
Give students the Roll or Slide Worksheet . Have them predict if each object will roll or slide (or both!) and then test them using a ramp and a flat table.
Check for Understanding
Question:
"If you want to roll a cylinder across the floor, which way do you have to lay it down?"
Question:
"Why can't we build a tower by putting a block on top of a party hat?" (Pointy top!)
Roll or Slide Worksheet Name:
Roll or Slide?
How do these shapes move? Color the circles!
Shape
Does it Roll?
Does it Slide?
🥫 Cylinder
🥳 Cone
⚽ Sphere
🎲 Cube
Green = YES
Red = NO
Great Shape Sort Slides Great Shape Sort
Master of Solids
The Shape Rules
ROLLS
Does it have a round belly?
STACKS
Does it have flat ends?
BOTH
Can it do two things?
Where does it go?
🥫
Rolls?
Stacks?
BOTH!
Clean Up Time!
⚽
🎲
📦
🍊
🧻
🥳
🍦
🥫
Can you help me sort all these messy shapes?
Shape Experts!
You know your spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones.Solid Shape Squad!
Great Shape Sort Teacher Guide Teacher Guide
Great Shape Sort
Lesson 5: Review & Mastery
Learning Goal
Students will sort 3D solids by multiple attributes (roll, stack, or both) to demonstrate mastery of geometric properties.
Materials Needed
Mixed bin of all 3D shapes studied
Three hula hoops or large bins (labeled Roll, Stack, Both)
Shape Squad Sort Sheet
"Solid Shape Squad" stickers or badges (optional)
The Hook: The Messy Shape Bin
Dump a large bin of shapes onto the rug. "Oh no! Our shapes are all mixed up. We need to put them in the right homes so they don't roll away or fall over!"
The Sorting Rule:
"We have three bins: Rollers (round), Stackers (flat), and Super-Shapes (Both!)."
Class Activity: Relay Race Sort
Divide students into small teams. One by one, students grab a shape, test it (roll it or try to stack it), and place it in the correct bin.
Spheres: Go to the Roll bin.Cubes: Go to the Stack bin.Cylinders/Cones: Go to the Both bin!
Final Check: The Sort Sheet
Students complete the Shape Squad Sort Sheet individually. They will draw lines from shapes to their correct movement bins.
Closing Reflection
Question:
"Which shape was your favorite to play with? Why?"
Question:
"If you could invent a new 3D shape, what would it do? Would it roll or stack?"
Shape Squad Sort Sheet Name:
Shape Squad Sort
Where do the shapes go? Draw a line!
⚽ Sphere
🎲 Cube
🥫 Cylinder
🥳 Cone
Rolls
Stacks
Both!
🏅
Shape Squad Official
You are a 3D Geometry Expert!
