With your year 3 class

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the new 2014
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Get the most out of your
Busy Ant Maths Evaluation Pack
Contents:
- Sample lessons from the Year 3 and the Year 4 Teacher’s Guide, Progress Guide and Homework Guide
- Pupil Book 3A and Sample Pages from Pupil Book 4A
- Free access to Busy Ant Maths on Collins Connect
- Busy Ant Maths Course Guide
- A ‘telling the time’ poster for your classroom wall
- A Busy Ant Maths pen
- Fun stickers to use with your class

Get to grips with Busy Ant Maths

in 3 easy steps:
1. Get online
connect.collins.co.uk/primary-teaching-resources
- Take a closer look at Busy Ant Maths on Collins Connect
- Discover the easy-to-use planning tool
- Explore the additional resources available on Collins
Connect for each lesson

2. Explore Busy Ant Maths’

Teaching resources:
- Within this Teaching Resources Sampler for Year 3 you will find:
- a whole weeks worth of lessons to try with your class
- sample enrichment and support resource sheets from the
Busy Ant Progress Guide
- sample resource sheets from the Busy Ant Homework Guide
- Everything you need to see how each Busy Ant component fits together
to ensure pupils have every opportunity to master each lesson’s objective

3. Try a lesson out with your class:

- See for yourself how straightforward Busy Ant Maths is to use
- Discover how the differentiation challenges every child
 Letter from Peter Clarke
Welcome to Busy Ant Maths, the new whole-school mathematics programme from Collins.

The 2014 curriculum marks the greatest transformation to the format and content of maths teaching in England
for more than a decade. We have approached this new curriculum with a completely blank slate by writing a brand
new mathematics programme which is 100% matched to the new curriculum.

Busy Ant Maths addresses the higher expectations of the new curriculum whilst offering a highly effective and
proven lesson structure based on best practice. It promotes the most effective pedagogical methods, alongside
a flexible and individualised approach to the teaching of mathematics. We have written a programme that has
assessment at its heart, and ensures conceptual understanding and mathematical fluency from the start.

As the author team that brought you Collins New Primary Maths, we have extensive experience in teaching and
writing for primary mathematics education. We believe that Busy Ant Maths is a wonderful resource that will help
you develop in pupils the mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding they need to meet the demands of the
new curriculum. We hope that you agree.

Best wishes

With your year 3 Class

Written by maths expert

am
Developed for Peter Clarke and his te
the new 2014
Curriculum

Evaluation Pack Intro.indd 1 02/12/2013 11:33

 Introduction
Key Principles of Busy Ant Maths
Busy Ant Maths is a mathematics course that ensures complete coverage of the 2014 Primary National Curriculum
for Mathematics.

The course has at its core the following seven key principles:

1 To inspire enjoyment of maths

2 To assist in developing pupils’ conceptual understanding of maths
3 To help raise levels of attainment for every child
4 To provide a rigorous and cohesive scope and sequence of the primary maths curriculum, while at the same time
allowing for schools’ own curriculum design
5 To promote the most effective pedagogical methods in the teaching of mathematics
6 To offer manageable strategies for effective diagnostic and summative assessment, to inform planning and
teaching
7 To strengthen the home/school link.

In addition to these seven key principles, Busy Ant Maths offers:

• a straightforward, yet flexible approach to the teaching of mathematics

• lesson plans following a highly effective and proven lesson structure
• a weekly bank of practical hands-on learning activities
• a detailed and systematic approach to the development of mental and written calculations
• extensive teacher support through materials which:
– are sufficiently detailed to aid confidence
– are rich enough to be varied and developed
– take into account issues of pace and classroom management
– give careful consideration to the key skill of appropriate and effective questioning
– provide a careful balance of teacher intervention and pupil participation
– encourage communication of methods and foster mathematical rigour
• controlled manageable differentiation with activities and suggestions for at least three different ability groups in
every lesson
• a stand-alone resource aimed at developing children’s fluency in number facts, containing hundreds of whole
class, group, paired and individual games and activities
• pupil materials which are enjoyable and purposeful.

Evaluation Pack Intro.indd 2 02/12/2013 11:33

 How Busy Ant Maths supports the 2014 Primary
National Curriculum for Mathematics
All of the components of Busy Ant Maths emphasise, and provide guidance on, the importance of the cyclical
nature of teaching in order to best promote learning and to raise pupils’ attainment.

Planning

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Planning
Busy Ant Maths supports teachers in planning a successful mathematics programme for their unique teaching
context and ensures:

• a clear understanding of pupils’ pre-requisite skills before undertaking particular tasks and learning new concepts
• considered progression from one lesson to another
• regular revisiting and extension of previous learning
• a judicious balance of objectives, and the time dedicated to each one
• the use of a consistent format and structure.

The elements of Busy Ant Maths that form the basis for planning can be summarised as follows:

Long-term plans
The 2014 Primary National Curriculum for Mathematics constitutes the long-term plan for schools to follow. By
closely reflecting the programmes of study, the Busy Ant Maths programme embodies this long-term plan.

Medium-term plans
The Busy Ant Maths medium-term plans show termly outlines of units of work with National Curriculum
Attainment Target references, and specific lesson objectives. Using the Busy Ant Maths online planning tool via
Collins Connect, these plans can be easily adapted to meet the specific needs of individual schools.

Short-term plans
Individual lesson plans and accompanying learning activities represent the majority of each yearly Teacher’s Guide.
The lessons provide short-term plans that can easily be followed closely, or used as a ‘springboard’ and varied to
suit specific needs of particular classes. An editable ‘Weekly Planning Grid’ is also provided on Collins Connect,
which individual teachers can fully adapt.

Evaluation Pack Intro.indd 3 02/12/2013 11:33

 Teaching
The most important role of teaching is to promote learning and to raise pupils’ attainment. To best achieve these
goals Busy Ant Maths believes in the importance of teachers:

• having high expectations for all pupils

• systematically and effectively checking pupils’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where they may
need to intervene, and doing so with notable impact on the quality of learning
• generating high levels of engagement and commitment to learning
• consistently providing high quality marking and constructive feedback to ensure that pupils make rapid gains
• offering sharply focused and timely support and intervention that matches pupils’ individual needs.

To help teachers achieve these goals, Busy Ant Maths provides:

• highly focused and clearly defined learning objectives

• examples of targeted questioning, using appropriate mathematical vocabulary, that is aimed at both encouraging
and checking pupil progress
• a proven lesson structure that provides clear and accurate directions, instructions and explanations
• meaningful and well-matched activities for pupils at all levels of understanding to practise and consolidate
their learning
• highly effective models and images to clearly illustrate mathematical concepts, including interactive digital
resources.

Each lesson in Busy Ant Maths has a specific learning objective derived from an Attainment Target from the 2014
Primary National Curriculum for Mathematics Programmes of Study, and follows the same teaching and learning
sequence.

National Curriculum
attainment target

Learning objective

Teaching and learning sequence

Getting Individualised
Teach Plenary
Started Learning

Evaluation Pack Intro.indd 4 02/12/2013 11:33

 Assessment
Assessment, record keeping and reporting continue the teaching and learning cycle and are used to form the basis
for adjustments to the teaching programme. Busy Ant Maths offers manageable and meaningful assessment on
four levels:

• Diagnostic assessment
The Assessment Tasks from the Busy Ant Maths Assessment Guide are designed to assist teachers in determining
pupils’ readiness for a particular unit of work. They are designed to yield information that will directly support
the teaching of individual pupils and whole-class teaching.

• Short-term ‘on-going’ assessment

Progress Check Questions are an important feature of every Busy Ant Maths lesson and are linked to specific
learning objectives. They are designed to provide immediate feedback to pupils and to gauge pupil progress in
order to adapt teaching.
Shared Success Criteria are also provided in each lesson to assist pupils in identifying the steps required to
achieve the learning objective.

• Medium-term ’formative’ assessment

As well as being used for diagnostic assessment, the Assessment Tasks, along with the Assessment Sheets, from
the Busy Ant Maths Assessment Guide can be used to review and record the progress of both individual pupils
and the class as a whole, in relation to the National Curriculum Attainment Targets. The formative assessment
tasks and tests provide individual and/or group opportunities to identify those pupils who are not yet reaching,
or who are exceeding, national expectations. They can also be used to set individual targets for pupils.

• Long-term ‘summative’ assessment

The End of Year Class Evaluation document shows individual pupils’ attainment against national standards.
It draws upon the data gathered throughout the year including results from Assessment Tasks and Assessment
Sheets, performance in whole class discussions, participation in group work, written evidence and any other
supplementary notes. This document forms the basis for reporting to parents and informing the next year’s
teacher. Importantly, it also helps to determine whether pupils are on track to meet expectations at the end of
the key stage.

Collins Connect contains a powerful assessment tool for diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. Along
with manageable and meaningful record-keeping formats it allows you to collect assessment data to store online
and present digitally for class and whole school analysis.

The following pages will introduce you to the components of Busy Ant Maths. Please note that materials in this
evaluation pack are draft versions, and not the final content.

Evaluation Pack Intro.indd 5 02/12/2013 11:33

 Year 3, Unit 1

Week 1: Number - Number and place value

National Curriculum attainment targets Pupil targets
Pupils should be taught to: • Read and write numbers to 1000 and
• recognise the place value of each digit in a three-digit number (hundreds, tens, ones) put them in order
• compare and order numbers up to 1000 • Split a number into 100s, 10s and 1s
• read and write numbers up to 1000 in numerals • Explain how the digits in a number
change when I count in 10s or 100s
• solve number problems and practical problems involving these ideas

Weekly overview Assessment

Pupils read and write numbers to 1000. They recognise the Use the following assessments from Busy Ant Maths
value of each digit in a two- and three-digit number and Assessment Guide 3:
partition numbers using Base 10 material. Pupils compare and 2: Recognise the place value of each digit in a three-digit
order three-digit numbers, focussing on the value of each number
digit. They solve number problems, recording their solutions
3: Compare and order numbers up to 1000
systematically, explaining how they know that they have
found all possible numbers. 5: Read and write numbers up to 1000 in numerals and in
words
6: Solve number problems and practical problems involving
Prerequisites for learning
these ideas (i.e. Number and place value)
• Count, read, write, write, compare, order and partition
two-digit numbers, explaining what each digit represents

Tracking back and forward through the curriculum

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

• recognise the place value of each digit in a two- • recognise the place value of each digit in a • recognise the place value of each digit in a
digit number (tens, ones) three-digit number (hundreds, tens, ones) four-digit number (thousands, hundreds,
tens, ones)
• compare and order numbers from 0 up to 100; • compare and order numbers up to 1000 • order and compare numbers beyond 1000
use <, > and = signs
• read and write numbers to at least 100 in • read and write numbers up to 1000 in
numerals and in words numerals and in words
• use place value and number facts to solve • solve number problems and practical • solve number and practical problems
problems problems involving these ideas that involve all of the above and with
increasingly large positive numbers
Related Busy Ant Maths Units
Y2 Units Previous Y3 Units Future Y3 Units Y4 Units
Unit 1, Week 1 Unit 9, Week 1 Unit 5, Week 1 Unit 1, Week 1 Unit 9, Week 1
Unit 5, Week 1 Unit 9, Week 1 Unit 5, Week 1

Week 2: Number - Addition and subtraction

National Curriculum attainment targets Pupil targets
Pupils should be taught to: • Add and subtract a pair of two-digit
• practise solving varied addition and subtraction questions. For mental calculations numbers
with two-digit numbers, the answers could exceed 100* • Add and subtract a three-digit number
• add and subtract numbers mentally, including: and ones
- a three-digit number and ones • Add and subtract a three-digit number
and tens
- a three-digit number and tens

Weekly overview
Pupils continue to calculate mentally the addition and
subtraction of two two-digit numbers using the empty number
line to support their thinking. They use mental strategies and
the empty number line to add and subtract a one-digit number
and a multiple of 10 to and from a three-digit number.

Y3_UO_U1.indd 2 02/12/2013 11:50

 Year 3, Unit 1
Prerequisites for learning Assessment Guide 3:
• Understand the place value of two- and three-digit numbers Use the following assessments from Busy Ant Maths
• Count on and back in ones and tens from any two- or three- Assessment Guide 3:
digit number 7: Add and subtract numbers mentally, including:
• Recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20, and - a three-digit number and ones
derive and use related facts up to 100 - a three-digit number and tens
• Add and subtract a one-digit number or a multiple of 10 to - a three-digit number and hundreds
or from a two-digit number
• Show that addition of two numbers can be done in any
order (commutative) and subtraction of one number from
another cannot

Tracking back and forward through the curriculum

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

• recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 • practise solving varied addition and subtraction • continue to practise [both] mental
fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100 questions. For mental calculations with two-digit methods [and columnar addition
• add and subtract numbers using concrete objects, numbers, the answers could exceed 100.* and subtraction] with increasingly
pictorial representations, and mentally, including: • add and subtract numbers mentally, including: large numbers to aid fluency *
– a two-digit number and ones – a three-digit number and ones
– a two-digit number and tens – a three-digit number and tens
– two two-digit numbers – a three-digit number and hundreds
– adding three one-digit numbers

Related Busy Ant Maths Units

Y2 Units Previous Y3 Units Future Y3 Units Y4 Units
Unit 1, Week 2 Unit 7, Weeks 1 & 2 Unit 3, Weeks 1 & 2 Unit 1, Week 2 Unit 7, Weeks
Unit 2, Weeks 1 & 2 Unit 9, Week 2 Unit 5, Week 2 Unit 3, Week 1 1&2
Unit 5, Week 2 Unit 11, Weeks 1 & 2 Unit 7, Weeks 1 & 2 Unit 5, Week 2 Unit 9, Week 2
Unit 9, Week 2 Unit 11, Week 1
Unit 11, Weeks 1 & 2

* Notes and guidance (non-statutory)

Week 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

National Curriculum attainment targets Pupil targets
Pupils should be taught to: • Recognise, name and describe prisms
• make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different • Visualise the skeletal outline of a 3-D
orientations and describe them shape

Weekly overview Prerequisites for learning

Pupils recognise and define prisms, including triangular prisms, • Name, describe the properties of, and sort common 3-D
cubes and hexagonal prisms. They understand that edges shapes and recognise them in pictures
and vertices form the skeleton to which faces (2-D shapes)
are fitted to complete a 3-D shape. Pupils identify 3-D shapes
Assessment
with particular attributes, e.g. shape of faces/bases. They are
introduced to the term “vertex” as a corner where three or Use the following assessments from Busy Ant Maths
more faces meet (prism) or as a point (cone). Assessment Guide 3:
28: Draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using modelling
materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different orientations and
describe them
Tracking back and forward through the curriculum

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

• identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, • draw 2-D shapes and make 3-D shapes using • continue to practise [both] mental
including the number of edges, vertices and faces modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in methods [and columnar addition
different orientations and describe them and subtraction] with increasingly
large numbers to aid fluency *
Related Busy Ant Maths Units
Y2 Units Previous Y3 Units Future Y3 Units Y4 Units
Unit 1, Week 3 Unit 5, Week 3 Unit 9, Week 3
3

Y3_UO_U1.indd 3 02/12/2013 11:50

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 1

Naming 3-D shapes

National Curriculum attainment target Lesson objective
• Make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different • Recognise and name 3-D shapes
orientations and describe them lying in any position

Previous related lessons Future related lessons

None Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 2; Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3; Unit 1,
Week 3, Lesson 4
Prerequisites for learning Success criteria
Pupils need to: Pupils can:
• recognise and name 3-D shapes: cube, cuboid, sphere, cone • match 3-D shapes to objects and pictures of objects
and cylinder • define a prism
Vocabulary • use partial sightings of 3-D shapes and clues to identify
straight, curved, prism, triangular prism, hexagonal them
prism, square-based pyramid

Getting Started
• Choose an activity from Geometry – Properties of shape.

Year 3, Unit 1,
Teach Week 3

Resources
3-D shapes: cube, cuboid, triangular prism, hexagonal prism, sphere, cone, cylinder, square-based
pyramid; shopping bag containing the following items: orange, cube of paper tissues, cereal
packet, tin soup; two cards labelled: “prisms” and “not prisms”; 18 logiblocks: six equilateral
triangles, six hexagons and six squares (per class)

• Prior to the lesson, decide whether to display actual 3-D solids and the 4 items in the shopping
bag and/or the representations of these as displayed on the slides.
• Arrange the pupils in a U-shape on the carpet.
1 • Display the 3-D shapes and the shopping items or Slide 1.
• From the shopping bag, produce an orange and ask a pupil to find and name the matching 3-D
shape (sphere). Repeat for paper tissues (cube), cereal (cuboid) and tin of soup (cylinder).
• Display the pyramid and ask: Can anyone tell me the name of this shape? (pyramid) Which
country is famous for having ancient building of this shape? (Egypt). Say: A pyramid gets its
name from the shape of its base. A pyramid has a square base and four triangular sides that
slope and come to a point.
• Ask: Putting together what we have found out about this shape, who can give me its name?
(square-based pyramid)
• Display the 3-D shapes only and sort them into two sets: flat faces and curved faces.
• Say: Tell your partner how you think the shapes have been sorted. (flat faces only to the left ,
curved and flat faces to the right)
• Now sort the shapes into two sets. Stand all four prisms on their bases and move the pyramid to
the other set.
• Ask pairs to share their rule for sorting the shapes with the class. (straight-sided or not
straight-sided).
• Focus on the straight-sided set and establish that the end faces for each shape are identical.
Introduce the term “prism” and label the sets “prisms” and “not prisms”. Say: A prism is the
same size and shape all the way through its length.
• Refer to the cuboid and say: The base of this cuboid is a rectangle so we call it a rectangular
prism.

22

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 Year 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

• Ask a pupil to find a shape with a triangular base. Ask: Who can name this shape? (triangular
prism)
• Repeat for the hexagonal prism and square prism.
• Point to the last shape and ask: By what other name do we know this shape? (cube)
A prism has • Ask: Who can explain why the cube can also be called a square prism? (prisms are named after
the same
the shape of their base and the cube has a square base)
cross-section
along its length • Build a stack of six equilateral triangles with the logiblocks to form a triangular prism and ask
and its two end pupils to name the shape.
faces are identical.
• Ask: Who can find the matching 3-D shape? Together count the number of faces (two triangular
The shape of the
base – triangle,
and three rectangular), vertices (six) and edges (nine).
rectangle and so • Repeat for a stack of six hexagons and six squares.
on – describes
• Display the square-based pyramid and the cube.
the prism. In strict
mathematical • Ask: In what way are these shapes alike? (square bases) Tell me two ways that they are they
terms, a cylinder, different.
that has a uniform • Point to the cylinder and say: We could build this shape with circles. However this solid is not a
cross-section, is
prism.
not a prism as it is
not a straight-sided • Ask: Can anyone explain why this is so? (it has a curved face)
polyhedron

Individualised Learning Pupil Book 3A – Page 12: Naming 3-D shapes

Refer to Activity 1 from the
Learning Activities on page 30.

Plenary
2 • Display: Slide 2.
• Display the 3-D shapes. Taking each shape in turn, ask the children to name it and to state
whether or not the shape is a prism.
• Say: Imagine you are phoning a friend. Take it in turn to describe one of these 3-D shapes to
your friend then ask them to name the shape.
3 • Display: Slide 3.
• Display the objects in Challenge 1 and 2 of the Pupil Book.
• Ask: Can you find an object in the picture that
has a square, circular, or rectangular base? Homework Guide 3
Homework: Shapes about
the house

23

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 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 2

Models of 3-D shapes

National Curriculum attainment target Lesson objective
• Make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different • Make models of 3-D shapes using
orientations and describe them straws and 2-D shapes

Previous related lessons Future related lessons

Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 1 Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3; Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 4
Prerequisites for learning Success criteria
Pupils need to: Pupils can:
• recognise and name cube, cuboid, square-based cuboid, • visualise the skeletal outline of a 3-D shape and relate this to
triangular prism, hexagonal prism its number of edges then vertices and faces
• know how to work out the number of faces, vertices and
edges for the above shapes
Vocabulary
prism, tetrahedron, skeletal, model, face, vertex, vertices, edge

Getting Started
• Choose an activity from Geometry – Properties of shape.

Teach
Year 3, Unit 1,
Week 3

Resources
full and half-length straws (per group); joiners or sticky-putty (per group); cuboid (per class)

• For this lesson you can use the Nets tool on Collins Connect.
1 • Display: Slide 1.
• Ask: What is holding this tent up off the ground? (the frame) Can we see the frame from
outside the tent? (No) What must we do to see the frame? (go inside the tent)
2 • Display: Slide 2. Say: Imagine that you are now inside the tent. Ask: Who can tell the class what
the frame looks like from the inside of the tent?
3 • Display: Slide 3.
• Display the cuboid and discuss its properties with the pupils (six faces, eight vertices and 12 sides).
4 • Display: Slide 4.
• Display the skeletal outline of the cuboid showing its vertices and edges. Demonstrate that the
edges of the cuboid relate to the frame of the tent.
• Ask pairs to suggest materials that could be used to make a skeletal model of the cuboid.
• Distribute materials to each group. Demonstrate how to join a vertex of two or three straws.
• Ask: The straws come in two lengths, long and short. How many straws of each length will you
need for the edges of a cuboid? (four long, eight short) Work with a partner and make a skeletal
model of the cuboid.
• Ask: What if you had eight long straws and four short straws? How might this shape be the
same as the cuboid you have just built? How might it be different?
• Take suggestions and ask the pupils to test their ideas by building the skeletal model.
• Say: In the next part of the lesson you are going to make models of 3-D shapes. Some models
will show the skeletal outline of the shape and some will show the faces of the shape.
• Ask pairs to suggest suitable materials that could be used to build the faces of a cuboid.
(interlocking squares and rectangles)

24

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 Year 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

Individualised Learning
Pupil Book 3A – Page 13: Making models of 3-D shapes
Refer to Activity 2 from the
Resources: Challenge 1: interlocking triangles,
Learning Activities on page 30.
squares, rectangles hexagons (per pair);
Challenge 2: 8 and 4 short straws (per pair),
sticky putty (per pair);
Challenge 3: interlocking triangles and squares
(per pair)
Progress Guide 3 – Support: Building 3-D shapes
Resources: green, yellow, red and blue pencils
(per pupil)
– Extension: 3-D spreadsheet

Plenary
Resources
skeletal model of the cuboid constructed in Teach (per class)

5 • Display: Slide 5.
• Ask: How many 3-D shapes can you name with three straws or flat faces that meet or come
together at every vertex? (cube, cuboid, triangular prism, hexagonal prism, tetrahedron)
• Ask: Can you name a 3-D shape that has four or more straws (edges) meeting at one vertex?
(square-based pyramid, pentagonal pyramid)
• Discuss why a 3-D shape must have a minimum of three edges meeting at every vertex. (gives
the shape stability) Hold up the skeletal model of the cuboid and ask: What would happen to
this shape if I removed one of the straws? (the shape would collapse)
• Draw children’s attention to the hexagonal prism.
• Ask pairs to share with the class how they built a hexagonal prism using only interlocking
triangles and squares.

Overcoming Barriers
• Children may have difficulty in visualising the 3-D shape they should make with the long and short straws. If this happens, ask
them to work out the total number of edges the shape has and to find, in the collection of 3-D shapes, one which could match
that number of straws.

25

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 25 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3

Properties of 3-D shapes

National Curriculum attainment target Lesson objective
• Make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different • Use properties to classify and
orientations and describe them with increasing accuracy describe 3-D shapes

Prerequisites for learning Success criteria

Pupils need to: Pupils can:
• know the properties of a prism • recognise and name the tetrahedron, square-based pyramid,
Vocabulary pentagonal prism
tetrahedron, triangular, square-based, pentagonal, • identify the end face of a prism with up to six sides
prism, pyramid, end face, vertex • use a pattern to predict the number of edges for a
prism with an end face of at least eight sides

Getting Started
• Choose an activity from Geometry – Properties of shape.

Teach
Year 3, Unit 1,
Week 3

Resources
set of 3-D solids: cube, cuboid, cone, cylinder, sphere, triangular and hexagonal prism, triangular
and square-based pyramid (per group); triangular (tetrahedron) and pentagonal pyramid (per class)

• Provide each group with a set of 3-D shapes. Revise previous work by asking the pupils to hold
up shapes with particular attributes.
• Use the Nets tool to display and rotate the cube, cuboid, sphere, triangular and hexagonal prism,
triangular and square based pyramid. Use a physical cone and cylinder. Revise previous work by
asking pupils to identify shapes with particular attributes.
• Say: Show me a shape that has circular/rectangular faces. Hold up a shape with two identical
triangular/hexagonal end faces/bases. What do we call this shape?
• Say: Show me a shape that is the same size and shape all the way through its length. Who can
remember the name we give to this type of solid? (prism)
• Ask the pupils to sort their solids into prisms and not prisms. Ask: How many prisms do you
have? (4) Can you name them? (cube, cuboid, triangular and hexagonal prisms)
• Repeat for the criteria: curved surfaces/no curved surfaces and six or more/less faces.
• Recall that the term “vertex” is a corner where three or more faces meet and its plural is
“vertices”. As a class, count the number of vertices for a prism and a square-based pyramid.
• Ask: Can you name a shape that has no vertices? (sphere, cylinder) What do these shapes have
in common? (curved face) Which shape has one vertex? (cone)
• Display the cuboid and rotate it about an axis. As a class, count the number of edges. (12)
• Repeat for a triangular prism (9 edges) and a hexagonal prism (18 edges)
1 • Display: Slide 1.
• Display the square-based, triangular and pentagonal pyramids.
• Ask: In what ways are these three shapes the same? (they are not prisms; the sides meet at a
point/vertex; they are are pyramids)
• Say: Tell your partner which 2-D shape forms the base of each pyramid. Take answers and say:
The name of the 2-D shape gives us the name of the pyramid.

26

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 Year 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

2 • Display: Slide 2 and complete it through class discussion.

3 • Display: Slide 3 when you have completed the exercise.
Answer:

Shape of base Number of sides 3-D shape

Triangle 3 Triangular pyramid
Square 4 Square-based pyramid
Pentagon 5 Pentagonal pyramid

• Say: The more common name for the triangular pyramid is the tetrahedron.

Individualised Learning Pupil Book 3A – Page 14: Classifying and describing

Refer to Activity 3 from the 3-D shapes
Learning Activities on page 31.
Progress Guide 3 – Support: Describing sweet shapes
– Extension: Properties of pyramids

Plenary
Resources
set of prisms: cube, cuboid, triangular and hexagonal prism; set of pyramids: triangular, square-
based and pentagonal pyramid (per class)

• Display the selection of 3-D shapes.

4 • Display: Slide 4.
• Pointing to one of the shapes, tell the class a fact that describes a particular attribute, e.g. It has a
triangular base.
• Ask a child to add another fact.
• Continue around the class until several facts have been suggested. Repeat for other shapes.
• Ask: How many faces meet at a vertex of:
- a prism? (3)
- a triangular pyramid? (3)
- a square-based pyramid? (4)
- a pentagonal pyramid? (5)
• Ask: Who would like to explain to the class how they found the number of edges for a prism
with an end face of i) eight sides, ii) 10 sides, iii) 12 sides?

Overcoming Barriers
• When working on the Pupil Book tasks, some pupils may find it helpful to have access to the set of 3-D solids used by their
group during the teaching activities.

27

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 27 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 4

Building shapes with cubes

National Curriculum attainment target Lesson objective
• Make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different • Build 3-D shapes with cubes
orientations and describe them with increasing accuracy

Prerequisites for learning Success criteria

Pupils need to: Pupils can:
• know the number of faces of a cube and cuboid • build models of 3-D shapes with cubes from 2-D drawings
Vocabulary • count the number of square faces of each colour
cube, cuboid, face in a 3-D shape

Getting Started
• Choose an activity from Geometry – Properties of shape.

Teach
Year 3, Unit 1,
Week 3

Resources
four large cubes (per class); one red and one blue interlocking cube (per child); a supply of
interlocking cubes in three colours (per pair)

• Show the pupils a large cube. Establish that when you rotate the cube or stand it on another
face, the cube is unchanged, that three faces are visible and that three faces are hidden.
• Use four cubes to make two cuboids, one lying horizontally and one in a vertical position.
• Ask: How are these cuboids the same? How are they different? What can you tell me about
their faces? (two square faces and four rectangular faces)
• Say: Take one red and one blue cube each. Ask: How many square faces are red? (six) How
many square faces are blue (six)
• Say: Now join them together and build a cuboid. Ask: How many square faces are red? (five)
How many square faces are blue? (five)
• Say: We seem to have lost two square faces. Discuss with your partner what might have
happened to them. Elicit that two faces are hidden when the two cubes are joined together.
• Say: Work with your partner. Decide on three different colours of cube. Ask: Using all three
colours each time, how many different shapes can you build with your cubes?
• After sufficient time, check that each pair has six shapes, three in a row with the centre cube a
different colour and three in an L-shape with the corner cubes a different colour.
• Point to an L-shape and ask: How many square faces of this cube can you see? (four) Elicit that
two of the faces of the cube are hidden when cube is joined to two other cubes.

28

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 28 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

Individualised Learning Pupil Book 3A – Page 15: Building models with cubes
Refer to Activity 4 from the
Resources: interlocking cubes (per child)
Learning Activities on page 31.

Plenary
Challenge 2

1 • Display: Slide 1.
• Identify which of the shapes the pupils found easy/difficult to build.
• Say: One of these four shapes is the “odd man out”. Which shape do you think it is? (d) Share
your ideas with your partner. (All four cubes have two faces that join to other cubes.)
• Ask pairs to share their reasoning with the class.
• Ask: Can you name shape d? (cuboid) How many faces are square? (two) How many are
rectangular? (four)
2 • Display: Slide 2.
• Review answers to Challenge 3 in the Pupil book and ask: Can you predict how many more
cubes will you need to build the eleventh model? (three)
• Ask: Why do you need three more cubes? (The pattern is going up in threes.)
• Ask pairs to share their explanations with the class.

Homework Guide 3
Homework: Patterns of 3-D shapes

Overcoming Barriers
• If pupils have difficulty in counting the number of square faces for a colour, ask them to attach small blobs of sticky-putty to
each visible face of that colour as they count.

29

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 29 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3

Learning Activities
Activity 1 Challenge
2

Objective
• Recognise and name 3-D shapes lying in any position

Resources
bag containing two sizes of each shape: cube, cuboid, cone, cylinder, triangular and hexagonal prisms, sphere (per
group); cards labelled: curved, circular, straight, triangular, rectangular, square, hexagonal, will roll (per group)

What to do
• Pupils should lay the cards face up in the middle of the table.
• They must take turns to choose a shape from the bag and display only a part of it to the rest of the pupils in
the group.
• The pupil who chose the shape should ask questions such as: Can you name this shape? Which cards describe
the shape?

Variations
Challenge
1 • As above but not including hexagonal prism and card labelled hexagonal

Challenge
3 Resources
In addition to the resources listed above, include a tetrahedron and a square-based pyramid (per group)
• Each child should take it in turn to select two 3-D shapes and ask: How are these two shapes the same?
How are they different?

Activity 2 Challenge
2

Objective
• Make models of 3-D shapes using straws and 2-D shapes

Resources
a supply of interlocking 2-D shapes, e.g. polydron (per pair); selection of small objects, e.g. glue stick, table-tennis
ball, 10 new pencils/10 crayons, six felt tip pens etc. (per group)

What to do
• Pupils should choose interlocking shapes to design a triangular prism to hold the object or set of objects of their
choice.
• Explain that the contents should fit snugly and the container should have an opening lid.

Variations
Challenge
1 • Ask pupils to build a cube or cuboid to hold their object.

Challenge
3 • Ask pupils to make their triangular prism with end faces that are right-angled or isosceles triangles.

30

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 30 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3: Geometry - Properties of shape

Activity 3 Challenge
2

Objective
• Use properties of 3-D shapes to classify and describe them

Resources
prisms with three, four, five and six sides of end face, cuboid (per group); digit cards 5–10 and 12, 15 and 18 (per
group); 1 minute timer (per group)

What to do
• Pupils should shuffle the cards, turn the top card over and display the number, e.g. 8 and set the timer.
• They must take turns to state, in 1 minute, as many facts as they can about the prisms that use the number, e.g. a
cube and a cuboid have eight vertices. A hexagonal prism has eight faces.
• Award one point for each correct answer.
• The winner is the first player to score 10 points.

Variations
Challenge
1 As per Challenge 2 but pupils should take the top two digit cards, match each card to a prism and give a fact
which uses that number.

Challenge
3 Resources
As well as the resources listed above, include a tetrahedron, a square-based pyramid, a pentagonal pyramid
and digit card 4 (per group)
• Pupils should engage in the activity, as described in Challenge 2.

Activity 4 Challenge
1

Objective
• Build 3-D shapes with cubes

Resources
24 interlocking cubes (per pair); three pieces of paper (per pupil)

What to do
• Each pupil should use all 24 cubes to build a cuboid and write a description of it, e.g. “The cuboid is three cubes
long, two cubes high and has four layers.”
• Pupils should swap papers and build each other’s cuboids as described.
• Repeat the activity for another two turns each.

Variations
Challenge
2 Resources
36 interlocking cubes (per pair); paper (per child)
• Pupils should investigate how many different cuboids they can make using 36 cubes and make a table of
their results.
• Encourage pupils to work in a systematic way beginning with one layer of cubes.

31

Busy Ant Maths Y3 TG Unit 1.indd 31 02/12/2013 13:04

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 2 Support

Name: Date:

Building 3-D shapes

Recognise and name different prisms

1 Jonny used flat shapes to build

these 3-D models. Colour the shapes
You will need:
• green, yellow, red
with these end faces as follows:
and blue pencils

yellow red blue

green

2 Match the colour to the name of the shape with an arrow.

square prisms
green

triangular prisms
blue

rectangular prisms
yellow

hexagonal prisms
red

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 2 Extension

Name: Date:

3-D spreadsheet
Make models of 3-D shapes using 2-D shapes

1 How many of each 2-D shape do you need to make a model of each
3-D shape?

2-D face

c
3-D shape

2 a Make a model of a cylinder.

You will need:
• sheet of card
• ruler
• plastic circle
• scissors
• sticky tape

b On the back of this sheet, describe how you made your model
of a cylinder.

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3 Support

Name: Date:

Describing sweet shapes

Describe 3-D shapes

Lena sorts the sweets then puts them into packets.

Decide which packet each sweet will go into.
Write the letter on the packet.
A sweet can
go into more than
1 packet.

a cube
b cuboid with c sphere
d hexagonal prism
square end face

e triangular prism
f hemisphere

g cylinder h cuboid
i cone

Peppermint Fruity Raspberry Caramel

prisms five faces rectangles curves

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3 Extension

Name: Date:
te:

Properties of pyramids
Use properties of 3-D shapes to describe pyramids
ids

1 Complete the table.

Pyramid base Number of sides Number of faces
of base of pyramid
Triangle 3 4
Square
Pentagon
Hexagon
Heptagon
Octagon

2 Predict the number of faces for a pyramid with a base of:

a 10 sides b 12 sides

3 Complete the table.

Pyramid base Number of sides Number of edges
of base of pyramid
Triangle 3 6
Square
Pentagon
Hexagon
Heptagon
Octagon

4 Predict the number of edges for a pyramid with a base of:

a 10 sides b 12 sides

5 Is there a relationship between the number of sides of the base of a

pyramid and the number of its vertices? Use the other side of this sheet
to draw a table similar to those in Questions 1 and 3 for the number of
vertices of a pyramid. Predict the number of vertices for pyramids with
bases of 10 and 12 sides.

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 1 Homework

Name: Date:
e:

Shapes about the home

Recognise 3-D shapes in any position

Find objects in your home that have these bases.

Write the name of the object in the table. Two are done for you.

Circular Square Rectangular

tin of beans packet of cereal

1 Find about 12 different containers in your home. Arrange

them into 3 sets according to the shape of their base.
2 Complete the table.
3 Circle the objects that are prisms.

Shape of base Objects

Circular

Square

Rectangular

There are different types of container in your kitchen: jar, bottle, box,
packet and tin. Write your answers on the back of this sheet.
1 What shape of base do most cardboard containers have? Why do you
think this is?
2 What shape of base do most tins have? Can you think why this is?

Find 2 different empty cardboard containers. Open each container and

lay them flat to reveal the faces.
Discuss and compare the shape and size of the faces of each container.

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Year 3, Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 4 Homework

Name: Date::

Patterns of 3-D shapes

Build 3-D shapes with cubes

1 Count the number of cubes in each cuboid and write your answers
in the table.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

2 How many cubes do you need for the 6th model?

Model 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

Number of cubes 2

1 Draw the 4th model in this row of cubes.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

2 Record your results in the table.
3 Record the number of cubes you need for the 5th and 6th models.

Model 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

Number of cubes 5

Look at the table of results for Challenge 2.

How many cubes would you need for the 10th model?

1 Using the bricks, work together to design

and build your own pattern of 4 models. You will need:
2 Discuss how you could use the pattern to • building bricks
make the 5th, 6th or even the 10th model.

© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

 Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 1

Naming 3-D shapes

Recognise and name 3-D shapes lying in any position

Challenge
1 Match each picture to its 3-D shape. Copy and complete the table.

1 2 3 4 5 Picture 3-D shape

1 cube
2
3
4
6 7 8 9 10 5
6
7
8
9
10

sphere cuboid cylinder cube cone

Challenge 1 Name the six 3-D shapes that

2 are lying in the sand.
2 Use the clues to name the
3 shapes below.

Shape a Shape b Shape c

• 6 rectangular faces • 6 rectangular faces • flat circular face
• 8 vertices • 2 triangular faces • curved sides that come to a point
• 12 edges • 9 edges

Challenge
3 Write 3 clues to help identify each shape.

a cube b hexagonal prism

c square-based pyramid d cylinder
12
 Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 2

Making models of 3-D shapes

Make models of 3-D shapes using
straws and 2-D shapes
You will need:
Challenge • interlocking triangles
1 Work with a partner. • interlocking squares
• interlocking rectangles
Make models of these 3-D shapes with
• interlocking hexagons
the interlocking 2-D shapes.

Challenge
2 Work with a partner. You will need:
Make skeletal models of these 3-D shapes with • 8 long straws
straws and sticky putty. Name each shape you make. • 10 short straws
• sticky putty

3-D Long Short Sticky

shape straws straws putty blobs Example
cube 12 0 8 cube
a 8 4 8
b 3 6 6
c 3 3 4
d 5 10 10
12 long straws,
e 4 4 5
8 blobs of sticky putty

Challenge
3 Work with a partner.
Using interlocking triangles and squares only: You will need:
a E xplore the different 3-D shapes you can make. • interlocking triangles
• interlocking squares
b F ind a way to make a hexagonal prism.

13
 Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 3

Classifying and describing 3-D shapes

Sort and describe 3-D shapes

A cube B cuboid C cone D hexagonal prism

E cylinder F triangular G tetrahedron H square-based

prism pyramid

Challenge 3-D shape A B C D E F G H

1 Copy and complete Prism ✔
the table. Not a prism

Challenge
2 1 Look at the faces of shapes A to H above.
Write the names of shapes with one or more faces that are:

a square b triangular c rectangular d curved

Number of sides Total number
2 Copy and complete Prism end face
of end face of edges
the table.
Triangle 3 9
Square
3 Predict the number of Pentagon
edges for a prism with Hexagon
an end face of:
a 8 sides b 10 sides c 12 sides

Challenge
3 Is there a relationship between the number of vertices
and the number of edges of a prism? Investigate.

14
 Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 4

Building models with cubes

Build 3-D shapes with cubes You will need:
• interlocking cubes
Challenge
1 1 Build each model with 3 cubes. Count the
number of square faces for each colour.
2 Copy and complete the table.

3-D Number of square faces A B C D

model Red Blue Yellow
A 5
B
C
D

Challenge
2 1 Build each model with 4 cubes. Count the number of square faces for each colour.
2 Copy and complete the table.

3-D Number of square faces A B

model Red Green Blue Yellow
A
B
C C D
D

Challenge
3 1 Build these models with cubes. Continue until the 6th model.
2 Record your results in a table. Look for a pattern.
3 How many cubes will you need for the 10th model?

15
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