Maryland Math 6.GR.A.4
The Standard
Represent three-dimensional figures (triangular prism, rectangular prism, pyramid) using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures to solve problems.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · SOLVE PROBLEMS IN CONTEXT INVOLVING AREA, SURFACE AREA, AND VOLUME
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students draw nets for triangular prisms, rectangular prisms, and pyramids. They find the area of each face and add those areas to solve surface area problems.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can draw a net with the right faces for each solid. They label dimensions, calculate each face area, and give the total in square units.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may leave out a face or count one twice. They may forget to divide by two when finding a triangle's area, or use a pyramid's vertical height instead of a side face's height.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Sketch a net for a triangular prism with a 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm triangular base and a 10 cm length. Find its surface area.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Cut out printed nets of a rectangular prism, triangular prism, and square pyramid, then fold them and label every face.
Show two different nets for the same rectangular prism and ask, "Why do they have the same surface area?"
Give pairs solid cards and net cards to match, then have them calculate one matched solid's surface area.
Measure a cereal box, sketch its six-face net, and calculate the cardboard area before adding tabs.
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Printable 6.GR.A.4 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.GR.A.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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