Properties of Shape - Draw Nets of 3D Shapes - Planning

In a creative geometry lesson tailored for Year 6 students, the focus is on understanding and drawing nets of three-dimensional shapes. The lesson begins with a recap of previous learning on 2-D and 3-D shapes, setting the stage for students to explore the concept of nets. A net is explained as a two-dimensional figure that can be unfolded into a flat shape, which, when folded back up, forms a 3-D shape. Students engage in paired discussions to identify the nets of various shapes, such as a triangular prism, a square-based pyramid, and a cube. By examining the number and shape of faces on these nets, students learn to link them to their corresponding 3-D shapes.

The lesson progresses with hands-on activities where students are challenged to draw and construct a net for a cuboid, paying close attention to accuracy in measuring, cutting, and folding. This practical task helps students to understand the importance of precision in creating three-dimensional shapes from nets. They also contemplate everyday objects like pyramids, soup tins, and cereal boxes, and attempt to draw potential nets for these items, acknowledging that multiple nets can represent the same 3-D shape. Group work and independent exercises with differentiated worksheets further reinforce their understanding. The lesson concludes with a reflective 'Give me five' activity, where students consider what they've learned about drawing nets, the skills they've used and found challenging, and the support that aided their learning. The lesson aims to develop skills at varying levels, from recognising simple nets to constructing more complex shapes like five-sided prisms and pyramids.