C Curriculum Explorer
Mathematics·Geometry·representational

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

Suggested ages 8–11

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Learning journey

Your child is advancing their understanding of shapes and space — working with coordinates on grids, identifying different types of angles, exploring symmetry, and classifying shapes by their properties.

Evidence of 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

Assessment prompt

If Nets of 3-D Shapes 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?

Standards alignment

No external standards are linked to this topic.