E. Spatial Sense · Spatial Sense: Angles, Triangles, Transformations and Area

Top, Front and Side Views

E1.3About 35 minutes

Learning goals

I can draw the top, front and side views of an object or a structure made of cubes.
I can match view drawings with the object they show.
I can explain why one view is not always enough to know what an object looks like.

Words to know

view
A flat drawing of what you see when you look straight at an object from one direction.

top view
What you see looking straight down from above. Some people call it a bird's-eye view.

front view
What you see looking straight at the front of an object.

side view
What you see looking straight at one side of an object. In this lesson we use the right side.

structure
Something built by joining parts together, like a building made of cubes.

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you described 3D objects like cubes, prisms, cylinders, cones and pyramids by their faces, edges and vertices, and you built structures. Now you will learn how designers draw a 3D object on flat paper, using views.

Let's start with a building plan

Before a new community centre is built, an architect draws plans. A builder can't build from a single picture, because a picture hides some parts. So the architect draws the building from different directions: from the front, from the side and from above.

Each drawing is called a view. You look straight on, as if your eyes were flat against that side. You don't see any slanted faces or depth, only flat shapes.

A structure of 4 cubes: 3 in a row, with 1 more on top of the left cube. Its front view is 3 squares with 1 square on top at the left. Its top view is 3 squares in a row. Its right side view is 2 squares stacked.

Worked example

Example 1: Draw three views

Draw the top, front and right side views of the structure in the picture above.

Front view: stand in front and look straight at it. You see 3 squares on the bottom and 1 square on top of the left one.
Top view: look straight down. You see the tops of 3 cubes in a row. (The tall cube looks the same as the others from above!)
Right side view: stand at the right end and look at it. The structure is only 1 cube deep, but the left end is 2 cubes tall. You see a column of 2 squares.

Front: an L of 4 squares. Top: 3 squares in a row. Side: 2 squares stacked.

Flat, not 3D

Views are drawn with squares, not cubes. You never draw the slanted faces in a view, only what you see straight on. On grid paper, each cube face is one square.

A structure of 4 cubes: 2 in the front row, 1 cube behind the left cube, and 1 more cube on top of that back cube. Its three views are shown on the right.

Worked example

Example 2: A structure with depth

Draw the views of the structure in the second picture. It has a front row of 2 cubes, 1 cube behind the left one, and 1 cube stacked on top of that back cube.

Top view: looking down, you see 2 squares in the front row and 1 square behind the left one. Draw the back at the top of your drawing.
Front view: you see 2 squares on the bottom. The tall back cube peeks up above the left front cube, so draw 1 square on top at the left.
Right side view: standing at the right and looking left, the front of the structure is on your left and the back is on your right. You see 2 squares on the bottom, and the back is 2 cubes tall, so there is 1 square on top at the right.

Top: an L of 3 squares. Front: 2 squares with 1 on top at the left. Right side: 2 squares with 1 on top at the right.

Views of everyday objects

You can draw views of any object, not just cube buildings.

A soup can standing up. From the top you see a circle. From the front you see a rectangle.

Object	Top view	Front view	Side view
Soup can (standing up)	circle	rectangle	rectangle
Ice cream cone, upside down (point up)	circle (with the point in the centre)	triangle	triangle
Square-based pyramid	square with lines from each corner to the centre	triangle	triangle
Cereal box (standing up, big face to the front)	long thin rectangle	large rectangle	tall thin rectangle
Ball	circle	circle	circle

Views of some objects you might find at home.

Worked example

Example 3: Match the object

An object's top view is a circle. Its front view is a triangle. What could it be?

A circle from above means the bottom is round, like a cylinder, cone or sphere.
A triangle from the front means it comes to a point at the top.
A cylinder would look like a rectangle from the front, and a sphere would look like a circle. Only a cone fits.

A cone, like a party hat or an ice cream cone turned point up.

Use more than one view

One view can fool you. A cube and a cylinder lying on its side can both have a square front view! That's why designers use several views together.

Just for fun

From the top view, a soup can, a hockey puck and a round birthday cake all look the same: a circle! A bird flying overhead would have a hard time telling your snacks apart.

Hands-on activity

Building and drawing

You need: building blocks or interlocking bricks, or small boxes all the same size (such as clean juice boxes or tissue boxes), grid paper or squared paper, and a pencil. (Keep small bricks away from little brothers and sisters.)

Build the structure from Example 1. Put it on a table at eye level. Crouch down so your eyes are level with the front. Check that the front view matches.
Look straight down from above for the top view, then from the right side.
Build your own structure with 4 or 5 blocks. Draw its top, front and right side views on grid paper.
Hide your structure. Give your drawings to your grown-up. Can they build it from your views?
Find 3 objects in the kitchen (a can, a box, a cup). Draw each one's top and front views.

Math talk: "Which view helped most when building? Why?"

Your turn

What is the top view of a soup can standing up?

What is the front view of a soup can standing up?

An object's top view is a circle and its front view is a triangle. What object could it be?

Four cubes are in one straight row on the table. Describe the front, top and right side views.

Three cubes are stacked in a tower. Describe the top view and the front view.

A structure has 2 cubes side by side, with 1 cube on top of the right cube. It's 1 cube deep. Describe the front view and the right side view.

More practice: warm-up

Which view do you see when you look straight down from above?

What do all three views of a ball look like?

What is the front view of a cereal box standing up with its big face toward you?

Two cubes are stacked. What is the top view?

In a view drawing, do you draw squares or cubes?

More practice: on your own

Four cubes sit flat on the table in a 2-by-2 square. Describe the top, front and right side views.

Describe the top view and front view of a square-based pyramid.

An object has a square top view, a square front view and a square side view, all the same size. What is it?

An object's three views are all rectangles. Name an object it could be.

Which views show how tall an object is?

Challenge

Take the 2-by-2 square of 4 cubes. Add 1 more cube on top of the back left cube. Describe the front view and the right side view.

Draw or describe two different structures that have the same front view of 3 squares in a row.

A structure's top view is 3 squares in a row. Its front view is 3 squares in a row with 1 square on top of the middle one. How many cubes is it made of? Describe it.

Check your understanding

Quiz

The top view of a cylinder standing on its end is a:

Which view shows what you see looking straight at the front?

Three cubes are stacked in a tower. What is the top view?

An object has a triangle front view and a square top view. What is it?

Why do designers draw more than one view?

Four cubes are in one straight row. What is its right side view?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The Ontario curriculum (E1.3) asks Grade 5 students to draw top, front and side views of objects, and match drawings with objects. This is the start of reading plans and technical drawings.

Common difficulties:

Drawing in 3D. Remind your child that views are flat squares or shapes, with no slanted faces.
Forgetting hidden or taller parts. A tall cube at the back still shows up in the front view if it sticks up higher.
Side-view orientation. When looking from the right side, the front of the structure is on the viewer's left. Building the real structure and crouching to look is the best fix.

How to help: Building blocks are perfect for this. Take turns: one person builds and draws views, the other builds from the drawings. Keep small bricks away from young children.