Online Activity: Shapes and Space

           The following project comes from the IBM MentorPlace program in
             Minneapolis. It was designed by Erin Klug, a fourth grade teacher
               at Willard Elementary School in Minneapolis, and Keith Braafladt,
               the Director of Learning Technologies, and Adam Wiens, Learning
             Technologies Internet Developer, at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

             If you look around very carefully, you will notice that our world is made of
           different shapes, patterns, and textures. During this project, students and
        mentors will look at mystery objects and identify shapes or patterns seen.
    Students will use their observation skills to discover the identity of each object.
Mentors will encourage the students in the use of their critical thinking skills

when examining each object. Throughout these activities, students will use their
knowledge of shapes for in-class, hands-on, minds-on activities.

During this activity, you will look at a mystery ball! Look closely at the ball and try to recognize
any shapes, patterns, or textures that may give you clues about what the ball is. Think about what
it would feel like in your hands.

Students, when you are ready to look at the ball, do the following:

1. Click on the link that says open mystery ball 1.

2. Take a good look at the ball.

3. Write down your ideas in by making a sentence like this:

I think mystery ball #1 is _________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________.

A note to Mentors: Please feel free to present clues of your own to your student to help
them expand their thinking and problem-solving skills. Offer alternatives and new ideas!
And ... make your own guess!

open mystery ball 1

Students, when you are ready to look at the ball, do the following:

1. Click on the link that says open mystery ball 2.

2. Take a good look at the ball.

3. Write down your ideas in by making a sentence like this:

I think mystery ball #2 is _________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________.

open mystery ball 2

Students, when you are ready to look at the ball, do the following:

1. Click on the link that says open mystery ball 3.

2. Take a good look at the ball.

3. Write down your ideas in by making a sentence like this:

I think mystery ball #3 is _________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________.

open mystery ball 3



		During this activity, you will look at a mystery ball! Look closely at the ball and try to recognize any shapes, patterns, or textures that may give you clues about what the ball is. Think about what it would feel like in your hands. Students, when you are ready to look at the ball, do the following: 1. Click on the link that says open mystery ball 4. 2. Take a good look at the ball. 3. Write down your ideas in by making a sentence like this: I think mystery ball #4 is _________________________________________________ because ____________________________________________________________. A note to Mentors: Please feel free to present clues of your own to your student to help them expand their thinking and problem-solving skills. Offer alternatives and new ideas! And ... make your own guess! open mystery ball 4


		Now that you have looked at and identified the Mystery Balls, write a simile for each of the four balls. Remember, a simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared by the use of like or as. For example, as fuzzy as a tennis ball. What else is fuzzy like a tennis ball? Follow this format and write a simile for each of the four balls. Example: I identified Mystery Ball 3 as a tennis ball. My simile is a tennis ball is as fuzzy as Santa's beard. Repeat this for each of the four balls. Mentors, please comment on the student's similes and feel free to provide your own similes for each of the four balls!