Digital Lesson
Cereal Box Surface Area
How much math can your learners pour out of a cereal box? Your middle schoolers will explore their favorite cereal and calculate the surface area, volume, and weight ratios and log this information on the provided worksheet. They get to...
Curated OER
Surface Area and Volume
Upper graders identify the surface area and attributes of figures that are measurable. They estimate, measure, and record perimeter, area, temperature change, and elapsed time, using a variety of strategies. They also determine the...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Volume and Surface Area
Build boxes using unit cubes to compare surface area and volume. The group performs multiple experiments to determine properties of volume, such as if it makes a difference which order the dimensions are multiplied in. Extensive...
Virginia Department of Education
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism
Wrap up a activity on surface area with a resource that asks scholars to use the idea of wrapping paper to investigate surface area. They draw representations of rectangular prisms on graph paper to find the areas of the respective...
Virginia Department of Education
Surface Area and Volume of a Cylinder
Surface area or volume? Pupils first review the difference between surface area and volume. They then use a two-dimensional net that helps them develop formulas for the surface area and volume of cylinders.
Curated OER
Surface Area, Who Needs it?
In this geometry lesson on cylinders, geometers explore how to find the smallest surface area for a given volume. They use their knowledge to relate it to the real world by making a model of a livestock tank.
Curated OER
The Luxor - Pyramids, Surface Area & Volume
Students investigate the surface area and volume of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. They calculate the slant height, lateral edge, and diagonal length of the base. Using this information, students explore other areas of the hotel, such as...
Curated OER
Nets And Surface Area
Upper graders investigate how to find the surface area when using two-dimensional shapes. They conduct an investigation in groups while working sample problems given during class discussion with the teacher. They also review how to...
Curated OER
Surface Area of Prisms
Students compute surface area and volume of prisms. In this surface area lesson, students find the surface area and volume of rectangular and triangular prisms. Independently, students use their computers to determine the volume,...
Curated OER
Surface Area
Sixth graders compute the surface area. In this surface area lesson students are given a set of problems to calculate. They compute the surface area of cubes and rectangular boxes.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Nano Waterproofing
This instructional activity will make an impact, especially on scientist-athletes who may have an interest in waterproof clothing! Acting as materials engineers, they work collaboratively on waterproofing pieces of cotton fabric. This...
Teach Engineering
Boxed In and Wrapped Up
If cubes have the smallest surface area, why aren't there more cube-shaped packages? Scholars take a box in the shape of a rectangular prism, cut it up, and make new boxes in the shape of cubes with the same volume. They then brainstorm...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Sugar Crystal Challenge
Blow your learners' minds with a sweet lesson on nanotechnology that uses sugar to demonstrate the difference nanoscale surface area makes in dissolving and crystal formation. Plenty of supportive background information is read to...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Insides and Outsides
Give small groups handfuls of unit cubes and then dare them to build as many rectangular prisms as possible using only 12 cubes. This engaging activity serves as an introduction to the volume of solid figures. In addition to volume,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
How Big Can a Bee Be?
Mathematicians analyze the relationships between surface area and volume. They conduct Internet research, conduct various experiments, record the data in a spreadsheet, and graph the results and compare the rate of increase of surface...
Curated OER
Surface Area and Volume
Students are introduced to the notion of surface area and volume, learn the terminology used with surface area and volume and have experimented with the surface area and volume of different prisms.
Curated OER
Surface area of a cylinder
Students construct a cylinder made of paper with detachable bases. Then they are taught the formulas for finding the area of a curved surface and the total surface area of a cylinder. A great hands-on approach!
Curated OER
Surface Area and Measuring
Tenth graders explore volume and surface area through percentages. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders analyze the surface area of two and three dimensional shapes, then use percents and ratio to compare the two.
Curated OER
Formulas for Volume and Surface Area
Students calculate the volume and surface area of each shape. For this geometry lesson, students use nets and other three dimensional polygons to create visuals of the volume of a shape. They define important vocabulary words relevant to...
Curated OER
Volume and Surface Area of Right Rectangular Prisms
Students identify the formulas for three-dimensional figures. They use manipulatives to model problems. Students create foldables and explain volume and surface area. Students complete worksheets and classify solids. Students sing a...
Curated OER
Volume and Surface Area
Students explore volume and surface area. In this math instructional activity, students fill boxes with cubes to identify the volume of the boxes. Students discuss area.
TryEngineering
Sugar Crystal Challenge
Be sure to use this sweet resource. Scholars perform an experiment using sugar to investigate how surface area relates to the coarseness of sugar. They consider how this concept connects to nanotechnology.
Curated OER
The Luxor Hotel Contract
High schoolers determine the surface area of the Luxor Hotel, using the square feet of the base, volume, and the volume formula. They create a scale model of the triangular/pyramid shaped hotel.
California Academy of Science
Dry My Laundry!
Meant to be a pre-field trip lesson, this can also serve as a cute and simple activity to use when your little ones are learning about evaporation or surface area. The children cut tiny t-shirts out of paper towel material, wet them, and...