Nets of 3-D Shapes
Identify, draw, and interpret nets of common 3-D shapes — cubes, cuboids, triangular prisms, and square-based pyramids — by predicting which 3-D shape a given flat arrangement of faces will fold into, checking whether a net will close completely, and sketching a net from a description or 3-D model; understand the relationship between the number of faces and the structure of the net
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“If your child is given a flat T-shaped piece of card with six squares, can they tell you — before folding — that it makes a cube, and point out which square will become each face?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Identify, draw, and interpret nets of common 3-D shapes — cubes, cuboids, triangular prisms, and square-based pyramids — by predicting which 3-D shape a given flat arrangement of faces will fold into, checking whether a net will close completely, and sketching a net from a description or 3-D model; understand the relationship between the number of faces and the structure of the net
What to notice. Draw the net of a cube, cuboid, or triangular prism and fold it mentally to identify which faces connect • Build a 3-D shape from its net and check that all faces, edges, and vertices match • Identify which of several given nets will fold into a specific 3-D shape and explain why the others won't
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1 approach
If your child is given a flat T-shaped piece of card with six squares, can they tell you — before folding — that it makes a cube, and point out which square will become each face?
Identify, draw, and interpret nets of common 3-D shapes — cubes, cuboids, triangular prisms, and square-based pyramids — by predicting which 3-D shape a given flat arrangement of faces will fold into, checking whether a net will close completely, and sketching a net from a description or 3-D model; understand the relationship between the number of faces and the structure of the net
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Check understanding
- Draw the net of a cube, cuboid, or triangular prism and fold it mentally to identify which faces connect
- Build a 3-D shape from its net and check that all faces, edges, and vertices match
- Identify which of several given nets will fold into a specific 3-D shape and explain why the others won't
“If your child is given a flat T-shaped piece of card with six squares, can they tell you — before folding — that it makes a cube, and point out which square will become each face?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Representational
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Geometry
- Age range
- Ages 8–11