New
New
Year 6

Making a desk tidy

I can create a 3D model for a given purpose.

New
New
Year 6

Making a desk tidy

I can create a 3D model for a given purpose.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Dimensions in design software enable you to accurately resize and move shapes.
  2. Placeholders can be used to create holes in objects.
  3. A cylinder is a 3D shape with two circular faces connected by a rectangular section.

Keywords

  • Cylinder - a 3D shape with two circular faces connected by a rectangular section

  • Placeholder - something that temporarily marks a space

  • Hollow - having empty space inside

Common misconception

When you put a placeholder inside a shape, make sure both of them are flat on the workspace with no gap.

If you don't raise the placeholder off the workplane so there is a hole at the bottom of the shape, the shape will be completely hollow and can't work as a container.


To help you plan your year 6 computing lesson on: Making a desk tidy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It will be helpful to be familiar with using 3D objects as placeholders in Tinkercad.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pupils will need access to a device with 3D design software. Examples in this lesson use Tinkercad https://oak.link/tinkercad

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What do you call it when you make a copy of a 3D object?

Correct Answer: duplicate, duplication

Q2.
What must you do before you can rotate a 3D shape?

Change its colour.
Export the model.
Correct answer: Select the shape.
Make a new object.

Q3.
Which tool is used to rotate a 3D object in Tinkercad?

Correct answer: curved double-headed arrows
colour picker
text tool
white corner handle

Q4.
How can you see all the rotate handles on a 3D shape?

Change the colour.
Make the object bigger.
Delete the object.
Correct answer: Change the viewing angle.

Q5.
Put these actions in order for duplicating and moving a shape:

1 - Select the shape.
2 - Duplicate the shape.
3 - Move the new copy to a new position.
4 - Group the shapes if needed.

Q6.
What should you do if you want to move several objects together in your model?

Correct answer: Group them first.
Delete them.
Rotate them.
Colour them.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each keyword to its meaning:

Correct Answer:cylinder,a 3D shape with two circular faces

a 3D shape with two circular faces

Correct Answer:placeholder,something that temporarily marks a space or makes a hole

something that temporarily marks a space or makes a hole

Correct Answer:hollow,empty space inside

empty space inside

Correct Answer:group,to combine objects into one

to combine objects into one

Q2.
What does resizing a 3D object mean?

changing its colour
rotating it
adding a placeholder
Correct answer: making it bigger or smaller

Q3.
What is the term for something that temporarily marks a space or is used to create a hole?

Correct Answer: placeholder

Q4.
What tool would you use to combine several 3D objects into one?

Correct answer: group tool
colour picker
export button
rotate handle

Q5.
Put these steps in order for making a hole in a 3D object:

1 - Place the placeholder inside the object.
2 - Make sure both are flat on the workplane.
3 - Group the placeholder and the object.
4 - Check the result.

Q6.
What happens if you don’t raise the placeholder off the workplane when making a hole?

The shape will be solid.
The shape will turn blue.
Correct answer: The shape will be completely hollow and not work as a container.
The placeholder will disappear.