This is a level 4 geometry strand activity from the Figure It Out series.
A PDF of the student activity is included.
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interpret plan views of buildings
classmate
squared paper
multilink cubes
FIO, Level 3-4, Geometry, Blocked Plans, page 15
Copymaster of isometric dot paper
Activity One
This activity uses students’ skills in visualisation. They have to match various plan views of buildings with the perspective view. Encourage them to work systematically to match the perspectives and plans. For example, to find the perspective drawing for Plan A, the students could start with the plan view on the left.
This could be the side view of Perspective 1, and it could be the top view of Perspective 2, but it doesn’t match at all with Perspective 3, so it is definitely not Perspective 3. Next, the students could work with the plan view on the right of Plan A. This doesn’t match Perspective 1, but it does match with the front view of Perspective 2, so Plan A must go with Perspective 2. The students can continue
to match the other plans and perspectives in this way.
If the students are finding this very difficult, you could tell them which plan views are top views, which are side views, and which are front views.
Activity Two
Although this activity requires the students to make the models from cubes, some students may have already made models to help solve the problems given in Activity One. The objective is to have the students involved in the process of viewing, drawing, and creating models. A real challenge for students at this level is to use the isometric paper to draw their models.
Answers to Activity
Activity One
1. Plan A goes with Perspective 2.
Plan B goes with Perspective 3.
Plan C goes with Perspective 1.
Activity Two
1. Practical activity. Teacher to check
2. Answers will vary.