Properties of 3D shapes

Year Target / Group Target / Key Resources / Models and Images /

Outcomes

Yr 1 / Must / Name solid shapes such as cube, cone and sphere. / 2 D shapes
Feely bag
Crayons/pencils/paper/ Sand
Plasticine / Biscuit Dough and shape cutters
Geo boards
Objects with different shaped faces
Digital camera
Shapes Songs. For example Dave Godfrey “Number Fun” songs.
Shape fan
3d shape properties
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
ICT files
Problem solving materials
Number lines
Odd one out
5rectangles / Understand use in a practical context: shape, solid, hollow, edge, face, straight, curved, point, corner
Recognise and name the following shapes:
Cube, Cuboid, Sphere, Cylinder, Cone
Identify shapes in the classroom: for example,
-find a cuboid (box)
-find a cylinder (baked beans tin).
Sort 3-D shapes in different ways according to properties like:
-whether they have any corners;
-whether all their edges are straight;
-whether they are solid or hollow.
Using a collection of solid shapes, choose an example, and describe it. For example:
-This shape has six faces, and each face is a rectangle.
-This shape has five faces – four are triangles and one is square.
-This cube has 12 edges…
Recognise a solid shape placed in hands behind back and be able to name it by feeling.
Make 3-D shapes using constructions kits, straws, clay, plasticine, everyday materials etc.
Begin to relate 3-D shapes to pictures of them e.g. match solids to pictures of them, use bricks to build models from pictures.
Describe the model or pattern and say which shapes have been used to make it. For example:
-The top of this tree is a sphere and its trunk is a cylinder.
-This house is made from a cube and its roof is a pyramid…
Look at this collection of objects or shapes. Shut your eyes while I pick one up and hide it. Open your eyes. Tell me which object or shape I have hidden.
Sort and classify shapes using Venn and Carroll diagrams, e.g. all the 3-D solids with a rectangular face
1b-1a
1
Understanding 3d shape
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
Further examples of pitch and expectations:
Foundation to year 1
Year 1
Information
- teaching mental calculation strategies
- teaching written strategies
- exemplification of standards / Should / Use everyday language to describe the features of 3-D shapes.
Could / Use mathematical vocabulary to describe 3-D shapes; sort shapes and describe some of their features.
Yr 2 / Must / Use everyday language to describe the features of 3-D shapes. / 3-D shapes
Pictures of 3-D shapes
Labels of shape names/key vocabulary
Every day objects e.g. boxes, balls, tins etc.
Yes/No cards
Construction kits
Straws, clay, Plasticine, multilink
Hoops for sorting
ICT files
Problem solving materials
Line of symmetry
Spot the shapes
Making shapes
Creating shapes
Number lines
Odd one out
Jack and the beanstalk
Coloured shape
Triangles and pentagons
Bucket and spade
6triangles / Recognise and name the following shapes:
Cube, Cuboid, Sphere, Cylinder, Cone, Pyramid
Describe some of the features of 3D shapes including the shapes of faces, the number of faces, edges and corners.
Using a set of solid shapes, choose an example to match properties described by others, e.g. Show me the shapes that have: at least one rectangular face, one curved face, eight corners,
Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions about a hidden shape in order to identify it
Describe the shape or solid in the cloth bag as you feel it. What might it be? Why? How do you know this shape is a …? How do you know this shape isn't a …?
Imagine a cube. Four faces are yellow; the rest are blue. How many faces are blue?
Describe this shape/solid to a friend. Can they guess what it is?
Use their knowledge of shape names and properties, for example to predict which 3-D shapes will roll and which will slide when placed on a slope
Sort 3-D shapes in different ways according to their properties of their faces such as whether they:
have six faces; have a triangular face, a rectangular face ….
They recognise and name shapes in different positions and orientations, including in pictures,
Make and describe shape patterns using solid shapes.
Relate solid shapes to pictures of them.
Match familiar solids to their pictures and use a construction kit to make a model of a 3-D solid that I know
Build models out of 3-D shapes and record the shapes used. For example:
My model was made with 7 cuboids, 10 cubes,
6 cylinders and 1 cone.
Make a skeleton shape from a construction kit or straws, and count the number of edges or corners.

Relate 3-D shapes to pictures of them.
For example:
match familiar solids to their pictures; use cubes to make ‘single-layered’ solids from pictures.
2c-2b
Understanding 3d shape
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
Further examples of pitch and expectations:
year 2
Information
- teaching mental calculation strategies
- teaching written strategies
- exemplification of standards / Should / Use mathematical vocabulary to describe 3-D shapes; sort shapes and describe some of their features.
Could / Classify and describe 3D shapes and understand the terms vertex and prism.
Year Target / Group Target / Key Resources / Models and Images /

Outcomes

Yr 3 / Must / Use mathematical vocabulary to describe 3D shapes; sort shapes and describe some of their features. / 3-D shapes
Pictures of 3-D shapes
Labels of shape names/key vocabulary
Every day objects e.g. boxes, balls, tins etc.
Yes/No cards
Construction kits/polydron
Straws, pipe cleaners, clay, Plasticine
Hoops for sorting
ICT files
Names and properties of 2D and 3D shapes
Shape sort
3d shape facts
Quadrilateral-triangle Venn diagram sorter
Problem solving materials
Create new shapes
Sorting shapes
Describing position
Rows of coins
Odds and evens
Straw squares
Circle sums / Recognise and name the following shapes:
Cube, Cuboid (Rectangular Prism), Sphere, Cylinder, Cone, Pyramid, Triangular Prism
Read and use the terms ‘vertex’ and ‘vertices’
Recognise 3-D shapes and make collections, for example, of shapes that are prisms.
Know that a prism has the same cross-section along its length, and that its two end-faces are identical.
Name and describe solids, using the correct language: 'A triangular prism has two identical triangular faces at opposite ends and the other three faces are rectangles'; 'A hemisphere is a sphere cut in half. It has one flat face and a curved surface.'
Sort 3-D shapes using criteria such as the number of vertices, edges or faces . They find the number of edges of assorted prisms to investigate the general statement : The number of edges of a prism is always a multiple of 3.
Sort 3-D shapes in different ways according to properties such as:
-Whether or not they are prisms
-The number of faces, edges, vertices
To draw a picture of a cube, would you use straight or curved lines? What about a cylinder?
Select from this set a shape that has:
no right angles;
all sides equal;
five vertices.

Relate 3D shapes to pictures of them, for example match
familiar 3-D shapes to pictures of them
Use cubes to build double-layered solids from pictures.

Recognise that two or more shapes can be put together in different ways to make new shapes. For example, find different shapes that can be made by fitting four cubes together face to face.
I dip a triangular prism in paint and make a print of each face. What shapes will I print?
use appropriate mathematical vocabulary to describe the features of common 2-D and 3-D shapes including semicircles, hemispheres and prisms
2a-3c
Understanding 3d shape
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
Further examples of pitch and expectations:
year 3
Information
- teaching mental calculation strategies
- teaching written strategies
- exemplification of standards / Should / Classify and describe 3D shapes and understand the terms vertex and prism.
Could / Classify and describe 3D shapes and visualise 3D shapes from 2D drawings (including being able to identify simple nets of solid shapes).
Yr 4 / Must / Classify and describe 3D shapes and understand the terms vertex and prism. / 3-D shapes
Pictures of 3-D shapes
Labels of shape names/key vocabulary
Every day objects e.g. boxes, balls, tins etc.
Construction kits/polydron
Straws, pipe cleaners, clay, Plasticine, multi-link
Hoops for sorting
ICT files
Names and properties of 2D and 3D shapes
Properties of 3D shapes
3D shape properties
Shape quiz
3d shape facts
Carroll diagrams for sorting shapes
Quadrilateral-triangle Venn diagram sorter
Problem solving materials
Reflecting shapes
Rows of coins
Odds and evens
Straw squares
Circle sums
Tangram
3 by 3 grid / Recognise, name and describe the following shapes:
cube, cuboid (rectangular prism), sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid, prism, triangular prism, hemi-sphere, tetrahedron, polyhedron
Know that a prism has the same cross section along its length and that the two end faces are identical
Identify simple nets of 3D shapes e.g. unfolded packets which are cubes or cuboids.
Draw in lines where you would fold this shape to make a cube.
Use a ruler to measure where they would go.
I am thinking of a 3-D shape. It has a square base. It has four other faces, which are triangles. What is the name of the 3-D shape?
Know that in a polyhedron:
Each face is a flat surface and a polygon
An edge is the straight line where two faces meet
A vertex is the point where two or more faces meet
Visualise 3D shapes from 2D drawings, e.g. work out how many cubes will be needed to make a given picture.
identify the shapes of faces of common 3-D shapes, and count the number of faces, edges and vertices (corners) of cubes, cuboids, pyramids and prisms.
From their experience of handling 3-D shapes and describing their properties, they visualise mental images of the shapes.
They can name a 3-D shape which has been secretly hidden in a drawstring bag. They look at drawings of 3-D shapes and relate them to real shapes.
Name three different 3-D shapes that can have at least one square face.
Here is a cereal packet. Describe what you think its net might look like.
Anna makes a cube using straws. First she joins four straws to make a square. Then she joins more straws to make a cube. Altogether, how many straws has she used?
There are three shapes in a row. What order are they in and what colour are they? Clues: The cube is in the middle.; The pink shape is not on the right. ; The red shape is next to the pyramid; The cone is not blue.

Look at a picture of a model made from interlocking cubes and predict the least number of cubes needed to build it. They then build the shape to check whether they are correct.
Use their knowledge of the faces of 3-D shapes to begin to construct their own net of a cuboid
construct the net of an open cube using a set-square and ruler to draw the five squares
construct the net of an open cuboid.
construct a model using cubes, take a digital photograph of it, then challenge others to recreate it.
3c-3b
Understanding 3d shape
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
Further examples of pitch and expectations:
year 4
Information
- teaching mental calculation strategies
- teaching written strategies
- exemplification of standards / Should / Describe 3D shapes and visualise from 2D drawings (including being able to identify simple nets of solid shapes).
Could / Classify and describe 3D shapes and visualise from 2D drawings (including being able to identify the nets of an open cube).
Year Target / Group Target / Key Resources / Models and Images /

Outcomes

Yr 5 / Must / Describe 3-D shapes and visualise from 2-D drawings (including being able to identify simple nets of solid shapes). / 3-D shapes
Pictures of 3-D shapes
Labels of shape names/key vocabulary
Every day objects e.g. boxes, balls, tins etc.
Construction kits/polydron
Straws, pipe cleaners, clay, Plasticine, multi-link
Hoops for sorting
ICT files
Shape quiz
3D shapeproperties
Carroll diagrams for sorting shapes
Quadrilateral-triangle Venn diagram sorter
Problem solving materials
Polyhedra chain
Planet Zargon
Cube face colour;
Five squares / Recognise, name and describe the following shapes:
cube, cuboid (rectangular prism), sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid, prism, triangular prism, hemi-sphere, tetrahedron, octahedron, polyhedron
I am thinking of a 3-D shape. It has a square base. It has four other faces which are triangles. What is the name of the 3-D shape?
Look at these diagrams. Which of them are nets of a square-based pyramid? Explain how you know.
Is this a net for an open cube? Explain why not.
visualise and describe 3-D shapes according to a range of properties including:
the shapes of faces,
the number of faces, edges and vertices,
and whether the number of edges meeting at each vertex is the same (as in a cube) or different (as in a square-based pyramid).
solve problems involving 3-D shapes, for example finding all of the possible nets for an open cube or sorting a set of 3-D shapes using an ICT 'binary tree' program

Work out the least number of unit cubes needed to turn this shape into a cuboid.
extend their knowledge of the properties of 3-D and 2-D shapes, including the tetrahedron and octahedron
identify shapes that have pairs of parallel or perpendicular sides or edges.
explore how many different shapes they can make from five squares touching edge to edge. They understand that if rotations and reflections of the shapes are not counted as different there are 12 shapes to be found. They investigate which of these shapes can be folded up to make an open cube
investigate the number of different shapes that can be made by placing four cubes face to face.
They draw accurate nets for a range of 3-D shapes, including the nets of prisms
3a-4c
Understanding 3d shape
Shape and space activities booklet
Shape tools
Further examples of pitch and expectations:
year 5
Information
- teaching mental calculation strategies
- teaching written strategies
- exemplification of standards / Should / Classify and describe 3-D shapes and visualise from 2-D drawings (including being able to identify the nets of an open cube).
Could / Classify, describe and identify the nets of 3-D shapes (including closed cubes).
Yr 6 / Must / Classify and describe 3D shapes and visualise from 2D drawings (including being able to identify the nets of an open cube). / 3-D shapes
Pictures of 3-D shapes
Labels of shape names/key vocabulary
Construction kits/polydron
Straws, pipe cleaners, clay, Plasticine, multi-link
Hoops for sorting
Unit plans:
Autumn unit 8
Autumn unit 10
Spring unit 8
Summer unit 3
Summer unit 7
Summer unit 11
Springboard
Lesson 11
Lesson 14
Lesson 17
Lesson 28
ICT files
Rotations and coordinates
Quadrilateral rummy
Problem solving materials
Polyhedra chain; Triangles; Symmetry ;
Planet Zargon;; Cube face colour; Tangram; 3 by 3 grid; Cubenets / Recognise, name and describe the following shapes:
cube, cuboid (rectangular prism), sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid, prism, triangular prism, hemi-sphere, tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, polyhedron.

Describe the properties of 3-D shapes, such as parallel or perpendicular, faces or edges e.g. Look at this cube. How many edges are parallel to this one? How many edges are perpendicular to this one?
make and draw shapes and apply their knowledge of the properties; for example, they use art straws to create 'skeleton' shapes
Name and describe the properties of a dodecahedron
Identify the nets of 3D shapes
Imagine a triangular prism. How many faces does it have? Are any of the faces parallel to each other?
How many pairs of parallel edges has a square-based pyramid? How many perpendicular edges?
Look at these 3-D shapes (e.g. a cuboid, tetrahedron, square-based pyramid and octahedron). Show me a face that is parallel to this one. Which face is perpendicular to this one?
What can you tell me about the faces of a cuboid? Why are so many packing boxes made in the shape of a cuboid?
Use your ruler and protractor. Draw the net of a regular tetrahedron with edges of 6 cm.
describe the shape generated by cutting through a tetrahedron or a triangular right prism in a plane parallel to a base.
classify 3-D shapes using criteria such as 'has at least one pair of parallel faces'.
investigate the number of edges, faces and vertices in polyhedra, record these in a table and explore the relationship: the number of vertices plus the number of faces equals the number of edges.
Here are four diagrams.
On each one put a tick () if it is a net of a cube.
Put a cross () if it is not.