3rd Grade Naming Solid Figures Worksheet: Prisms, Pyramids and More

We named every solid again from the drawings on page one. The answers are: triangular prism, square pyramid, cone, sphere, cube, rectangular prism, cylinder, triangular pyramid and hexagonal prism.

We fixed the original key before we shared it. The eighth drawing has one point joined to a triangle, so it is a triangular pyramid, but the key called it a triangular prism. The second drawing has a square base, so its full name is square pyramid, and the title now spells three-dimensional with a hyphen.

Many children mix up prisms and pyramids, so give your child two quick checks. A prism has two matching ends joined by flat sides, like a box or a tent. A pyramid has one base, and all its other faces meet at a single point at the top.

Next, your child looks at the shape of the base to finish the name. A triangle gives a triangular prism or pyramid, while a hexagon gives a hexagonal prism. However, curved shapes are easier: a sphere is round all over, and a cone has one point. Naming 3D shapes is a review from grade 1 and grade 2, and it prepares the work on faces, edges and vertices.

Go on a hunt for three-dimensional figures around the house with your child. A cereal box is a rectangular prism, a can is a cylinder, and an orange is close to a sphere. Your child names each object and says why, for example because it has two matching ends. If you find a tent or a roof, ask whether it is a prism or a pyramid. Finally, building prisms and pyramids from straws and modeling clay is another fun way to see every edge.