Perimeter and Area 3-D Animals

When it's time to review Perimeter and Area in the classroom, I usually have the students use their creativity and make Perimeter and Area Dogs.  

This year I thought they might like to try a 3D version. I'd seen a Pinterest photo of a squirrel so I showed them that on the projector and handed out index cards and graph paper cut from a roll.

The students had these instructions to guide them:

1. Choose an animal.

2. Draw the animal in pencil on graph paper. Think about how you will bid it to become a #D animal.

3. Figure the Perimeter and the Area of your animal. Write this information on your index card.

4. SHOW YOUR WORK TO MS HOUSTON.

5. NOW you can outline and decorate with markers.

6. Cut out your animal and fold to make it 3D.

7. Glue animal to index card.

8. Put your animal on the table outside the classroom door.

9. Write a paragraph in your math journal about the making this 3D animal. Underline all Math Vocabulary with a highlighter. 

10. SHOW PARAGRAPH TO MS HOUSTON.

We had lots of cats and dogs, a bear, a penguin, rabbits, a squirrel, and, I think, a guinea pig and a goat.

My graph paper was 1/2 inch grid.  If you don't have graph paper on a roll, there are several great sites where you can print out your own and choose the size you want. Just Google it.  the most important thing is to use this as a check to see if they have ownership of the math and then give them a chance to use their knowledge in a creative way and then to write about it.

Let me know how it goes. What animals did your kids choose to make? Or, did they make robots, or characters from a  book they were reading? Their Halloween costume? Make it work for your classroom.