Straw models II

Straw models II

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about making 3-D shapes.
Practical task

Use the straws to make models like the ones drawn below.

  • You have 7 straws to make the triangular prism, and 9 straws to make the cube, but you do not have to use all the straws.
  • Cut the straws to the lengths you need and join them together with sellotape.

a)      triangular prism
b)      cube

Straw-models-triangular-prism.png
 

 

Task administration: 
Equipment
16 straight drinking straws (e.g., "Good Cook" brand); scissors; ruler; sellotape.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Shape
Keywords: 
model construction, 3-dimensional shapes, cubes, triangular prisms
Description of task: 
In this practical task students use straws to construct skeleton models of 3-dimensional shapes from given drawings.
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: 
a) The model has 2 triangles the same size and shape.
  The triangles are joined at right angles with straws that are the same
length.
b) The model has 2 squares the same size.
  The squares are joined at right angles with straws that are the same
length.