Math lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes
Match nets to solids and count faces, edges and vertices
Geometry
CCSS 6.G.A.4England: Y6 GeometryEngland: KS3 Geometry and measures
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Match nets to solids and count faces, edges and vertices.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Faces, edges and vertices of 3D shapes
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Rulers and protractors, Squared or dotted paper, Shape cut-outs, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Faces, edges and vertices of 3D shapes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- How many faces does a cube have? → 6Prompt: Faces are flat surfaces, edges are where two faces meet, vertices are corners.
- How many edges does a square-based pyramid have? → 8Prompt: Faces are flat surfaces, edges are where two faces meet, vertices are corners.
- How many edges does a cuboid have? → 12Prompt: Faces are flat surfaces, edges are where two faces meet, vertices are corners.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a photo of a building, a tile pattern or a road sign and ask what shapes and angles students can spot.
- Share the objective: Match nets to solids and count faces, edges and vertices. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: A net is made of 6 equal squares. Which solid does it fold into?
- Step 1: 6 equal squares → cube
- Answer: cube
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- A net is made of 1 square and 4 triangles. Which solid does it fold into? (tetrahedron (triangular pyramid) / square-based pyramid / triangular prism / hexagonal prism) → square-based pyramidPrompt: Prisms have two matching end faces joined by rectangles.
- How many faces does a tetrahedron (triangular pyramid) have? → 4Prompt: Picture the solid, or sketch it.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A polyhedron has 8 faces and 12 vertices. Use Euler's rule F + V − E = 2 to find the number of edges. → 18Prompt: Substitute the two numbers you know into F + V − E = 2.
- A net is made of 2 pentagons and 5 rectangles. Which solid does it fold into? (cube / tetrahedron (triangular pyramid) / pentagonal prism / square-based pyramid) → pentagonal prismPrompt: Prisms have two matching end faces joined by rectangles.
Watch out for
- Thinking a square turned on its corner is no longer a square.
- Reading the wrong scale on a protractor.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Faces, edges and vertices of 3D shapes.
- Use concrete materials: rulers and protractors.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder