+
Handout
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Ask Dr. Math: Faq, Geometric Figures

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This page brings you to a table of contents of three-dimensional figures. Selecting a figure will bring you to a page defining and illustrating the figure with applicable formulas listed.
+
Handout
Cool Math

Coolmath: Coolmath4kids: Polyhedra Gallery

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A gallery of complex polyhedra with descriptions and characteristics.
+
Article
Creative Science Centre

Creative Science Centre: Drawing the Football

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explores the shape, symmetry and surface structure of a football (or soccer ball, depending on your nationality) to see how this understanding can help one draw these sorts of complex shapes.
+
Unit Plan
Cuemath

Cuemath: Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn more about platonic sold geometry, understand the platonic solid names, view some solved examples, and try your hand at some interactive problems.
+
Website
Science U

Science U: Welcome to the Geometry Center!

For Students 3rd - 8th
Site provides information and activities on various aspects of geometry, from shapes to patters and symmetry. Make your own tetra puzzle or build an icosahedron in the classroom. Interactive and fun.
+
Interactive
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Studying Polyhedra

For Students 9th - 10th
This site not only defines what a polyhedron is, but it allows you to view each of the five regular polyhedra through an interactive exercise. After selecting which polyhedron you'd like to see, it will tell you its name and how many...
+
Study Guide
Oswego City School District

Regents Exam Prep Center: Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you know that the five regular platonic solids (tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, cube, and dodecahedron) were thought to represent earth, air, fire, water, and the universe? This chart shows an image and provides a description...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: Mathline: Let's Face It [Pdf]

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Check out this math project about polyhedra! Students will enjoy the hands-on activity while they learn about tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and icosahedrons. [Requires Adobe Reader.]
+
Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Viral Packaging

For Students 9th - 10th
Make an icosahedron, a shape with twenty triangular faces. This shape is used by most viruses to contain their genetic material in the most efficient way possible.
+
Activity
Math Is Fun

Math Is Fun: Platonic Solids: Why Five?

For Students 9th - 10th
Use Euler's Formula and properties of known platonic solids' faces, edges, and vertices to determine why only five platonic solids exist.
+
Handout
Oswego City School District

Regents Exam Prep Center: Polyhedra

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
View and learn about five different polyhedra: tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, hexahedron, and dodecahedron. Learn what Euler's Polyhedra Theorem is, and see examples of non-polyhedra as well.
+
Handout
University of Georgia

University of Georgia: Inter Math: Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th
This site gives a description of platonic solids along with a visual representation of each of the five platonic solids. At the bottom of the page are links to cut-out-templates for each of the platonic solids. Be sure to follow the...
+
Interactive
Walter Fendt

Walter Fendt: The Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th
A short interactive activity to visualize the different platonic solids. You can also change the axis of rotation.
+
Article
Creative Science Centre

Creative Science Centre: Shapes Platonic and Archimedean Solids

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The 'Platonic solids' are three-dimensional shapes formed by putting together identical regular faces. Every corner and every edge is identical to every other corner and edge. There are five such 'solids': the tetrahedron, cube,...
+
eBook
Mathigon

Mathigon: Geometry: Polygons and Polyhedra: Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th
A Platonic solid is a polyhedron made up of only one kind of regular polygon, that looks the same from every direction. (In other words, the same number of faces meet at every vertex.) There are only five different Platonic solids:...
+
Unit Plan
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Ask Dr. Math: Polyhedra Classification

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This question and answer site provides a lot of basic information about polyhedra. The five regular polyhedra, "The Platonic Solids," are described.
+
Handout
Other

Platonic Realms: The Irrationality of the Square Root of Two

For Students 9th - 10th
An informative resource on the nature of Platonic Solids and what constitutes these figures.
+
Activity
Other

Polyhedra: The Five Platonic Solids

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A brief site that includes some activities to understand the figures.
+
Activity
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Polyhedra Nets Paper

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Contains six examples of polyhedra nets (cube, tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, cubosctahedron).
+
Unit Plan
Math Is Fun

Math Is Fun: Making 3 D Solids

For Students 2nd - 8th Standards
This tutorial features templates and instructions to make the following solids: tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron.
+
Interactive
Math Is Fun

Math Is Fun: Spinning Icosahedron

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students learn about the terminology and formulas associated with an icosahedron. The learning resource consists of definitions and an interactive spinning icosahedron.
+
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Nrich: Skeleton Shapes

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
At this one page website a variety of polyhedra are shown. The challenge is to create the skeleton for each polyhedron and identify the needed materials. You can check your solution right at the website.
+
Handout
University of Georgia

University of Georgia: Inter Math: Icosahedron

For Students 9th - 10th
This site gives a very brief definition of an icosahedron. Be sure to follow the links to related terms, everyday examples, challenging problems, more information, and the interactive check point involving icosahedrons located in the...
+
Unit Plan
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Pictures of Icosahedrons

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Dr. Math and the Math Forum provides several links to pictures of icosahedrons. The information is somewhat brief, but worth checking out for a background on the subject.