The aim of this study was to determine how successful elementary school teacher candidates are in forming and mathematically defining the surfaces of spheres, cones, cylinders and circular objects with the aid of various geometric elements. The study group consisted of a total of 40 teacher candidates in their fourth year attending a public university in Turkey during the 2014-2015 academic year. The study was performed using a qualitative study method, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The study results demonstrated that elementary school teacher candidates were more successful in forming and defining basic surfaces when they worked by interpreting real-life models and adapting them to mathematical contexts.