Students will be exploring a rectangular prism in the following manner. First, students are to find the dimensions of their box in centimeters. Next, students must make a flat pattern of their box on the centimeter grid paper (example provided). The pattern should use the real measurements of their box. Students should label the faces on their pattern. Finally, students are to cut along the edges of their BOX so that, when it lays flat, the box will match the pattern drawn. (For this exercise, flaps may be cut off or folded under. Students need not draw flaps.)

As an introduction, you may want to tell students that a rectangular prism is a three-dimensional shape with six rectangular faces and have them count the faces on different boxes. The size of a rectangular prism can be described by giving its dimensions - base front (length), base side (width), and height. The base of a rectangular prism is the face on the bottom, or the face that rests on a table or the floor.

EXTRA CHALLENGE: Restrict students from using the "T" or "t" flat patterns for this activity.