Classify and Sort 3D Shapes

Once your students can successfully recognise and name the most common 3D shapes, it’s time to move on to teaching them the properties (features) of these geometric figures. The most common properties attributed to three-dimensional shapes are faces, edges and vertices.

This set of three worksheets has been designed to help your students classify 3D shapes based on characteristics they have in common, and those that are different. The worksheets contain a variety of different activities, such as:

• Using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the properties of various 3D shapes
• Naming the 3D shapes being described by a statement
• Filling in the blank in a statement about a 3D shape to make the statement true
• Completing a table with attributes of 3D shapes
• Answering true or false questions about the attributes of 3D shapes
• Identifying 3D shapes that have been incorrectly sorted
• Solving riddles about 3D shapes

The resource download includes:

• 3 x different classifying and sorting worksheets
• Answer key

Students can complete the worksheets independently, in pairs, or during small group time with the teacher. Different groups can be assigned different pages, or students can complete all three (depending on their level of confidence with the content).

Tips for Differentiation and Scaffolding 

If you are looking for ways to differentiate this activity to meet the needs of all learners, try out these suggestions:

• Challenging Your High-Flying Students – Provide your students with models of 3D shapes, or have your students create some from nets. Have your students classify and sort these shapes into categories of their own choosing.

• Support Your Less-Confident Students – Hands-on manipulatives can be a great help for students who may have trouble visualizing 3D shapes and their attributes. Provide these to students so they can count attributes using the models as they complete the worksheets.

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to select between the editable Google Slides or easy-print PDF version of this resource.

As this resource contains an answer sheet, we recommend printing one copy of the entire file, then removing the student worksheets for photocopying.

Alternatively, project the worksheets on a screen and work through them as a class for a paperless lesson!

This resource was created by Lorin Davies, a teacher in Texas and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Click below for more hands-on resources to use when teaching 3D shapes to your students!

teaching resource

Classifying 3D Shapes Sorting Activity

Play this sorting game when learning how to classify 3D shapes according to their properties.

teaching resource

Classifying 3D Shapes - Interactive Activity

Classify 3D shapes according to their properties with this digital drag-and-drop activity.

teaching resource

Attributes of 3D Shapes - Worksheet

A worksheet for students to practice giving attributes of 3D shapes.