Understanding distances and movements in 3 dimensions is vital for living in a 3D world, says Colin Foster…
In this lesson, students will investigate the shortest possible route for a spider to walk over the surface of a cuboid from one vertex to the opposite corner.
They will need to draw out a net for the cuboid and use Pythagoras’ Theorem to find which distance is the shortest possible.
There are many opportunities to develop a logical, systematic approach and to apply their knowledge of 3D shapes.
Why teach this?
We live in a 3-dimensional world, and yet a lot of shape and space work in maths is 2-dimensional. This lesson bridges 2D and 3D.
Key curriculum links
- Use the properties of cuboids to solve problems in 3D
- Use Pythagoras’ Theorem to solve problems involving right-angled triangles
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KS4 Maths Lesson Plan – Understand Distance and Movement in 3D
