How many faces?

How many faces?

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about identifying the number of faces on 3-dimensional shapes.
In the example, there is a dot on each of the 5 faces that you can see, but there are 3 faces on the back and underneath you cannot see.
So, the shape in the example has eight faces (5 + 3) in total.
 
Example: 
 
how-many-faces-example.png                                                         
Number of faces:    ___8___
 

Question 1Change answer

a)  How many faces does this shape have?
how-many-faces-part-a.png
     Number of faces: 

Question 1Change answer

b)  How many faces does this shape have?
how-many-faces-part-b.png
     Number of faces: 

Question 1Change answer

c)  How many faces on this shape?
how-many-faces-part-c.png
     Number of faces: 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (with auto marking displayed to students).
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Shape
Keywords: 
3-dimensional shapes, shape properties, faces
Description of task: 
Students identify the number of faces for different 3-dimensional models.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can help to identify students' understanding of properties of 3-dimensional shapes.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Geometric thinking, sets 3-4
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y6 (06/1998)
a) 6 easy
b) 10 moderate
c) 14 difficult
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Student response Likely reason
a)
b)
c)		 3
6
9		 Only counts visible faces.
a)
b)
c)		 5
9
13		 Misses one face off all three pictures, probably the bottom.
a)
b)
c)		 correct
9
13		 Misses one face off b) or c), possibly the bottom one or one of the non-visible faces on the left-hand side.
a)
b)
c)		 correct
correct
13		 Misses one face off c), possibly the bottom one or one of the non-visible faces on the left-hand side.
Next steps: 
If students have not counted all of the faces on a 3-dimensional shape, give them physical models to explore, encouraging them to visualise the faces they cannot see, in particular the bottom face.