Virginia Department of Education
The Ratio of Surface Area to Volume
Demonstrate the ratio of surface area to volume in your high school class by using phenolphthalein, gelatin, and an onion. Intrigue the class by leading a discussion on osmosis and diffusion, then making "scientific jello." Participants...
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 to Volume Ratios
Young scholars measure the rate of diffusion and to calculate the surface area to volume ratios of varying cell sizes. The lesson is very clearly organized with a useful student worksheet provided. They perform a lab experiment which is...
Curated OER
Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Students examine the surface area to volume ratio and how they relate. In this surface area lesson students complete several activities.
Nuffield Foundation
Effect of Size on Uptake by Diffusion
Cell size is limited by the surface area to volume ratio, but why is this true? Scholars measure the surface area and volume of cubes before placing them into liquid. After a set amount of time, they measure the uptake by diffusion for...
Curated OER
Sizing Cells
Students examine how living cells reproduce to make new cells. In this cell reproduction lesson students complete a lab activity and answer questions.
Curated OER
SA/V Ratio and Rate of Diffusion
Students calculate the SA/V ratio and volume of phenophthalien agar that are cut into different shapes. They then let ammonia diffuse into the various pieces of agar and determine the effect that SA/V had on the rate of diffusion.
Serendip
Diffusion and Cell Size and Shape
Is your class ready to size up the topic of diffusion? Help them get cell shape savvy with a well-written handout. The resource covers how substances such as oxygen passively move through the cell membrane and how cell size and shape...
Curated OER
Cell Replication
Students use Internet activities and videos to understand the types of cells, their membranes, and the way that they reproduce. In this cellular biology activity, students use the Internet to view videos and complete activities. They...
Curated OER
Does Size Matter?
Pupils explore the surface area to volume ratio in cellular respiration. While participating in an interactive lab experiment, they examine proportional surface area and discuss nanotechnology. Students observe the effectiveness of...
Beyond Benign
Water Bottle Unit
How much plastic do manufacturers use to create water bottles each year? The class explores the number of water bottles used throughout the years to determine how many consumers will use in the future. Class members compare different...
DiscoverE
Design a Dome
Do domed structures have advantages over their less-than-spherical counterparts? Junior architects explore the pros and cons of domes through a design challenge. Teams work together to plan, sketch, build, and test domes created from an...
Curated OER
How Does Cell Size And Shape Affect Transport of Materials
Tenth graders explore concepts of surface area, volume, and ratios, create spreadsheets to aid organization of data collected and provide graphing capabilities, and use NIH Imaging to enable calculations of microscopic organisms.
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
The Pinch Test
Test your pupils' understanding of the scale from macro to atomic. While displaying images of different materials, learners identify what they would need to make that material visible. Their choices range from the human eye to an...
Curated OER
Nanofibers: Why Go Small?
Young scholars explore the surface ratio of an object. In this surface area to volume lesson students construct a data table, make calculations and create a graph.
Curated OER
Maintaining Body Heat
Students observe and compare heat loss in various objects with surface area-to-volume ratios and transfer this comparison to the physical characteristics of animals in their environment. In small groups they conduct an experiment...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Silver and Bandages: Assessment of Inhibition of Bacteria by Silver Colloid-Impregnated Bandages
Silver: more than jewelry, it's also a natural antimicrobial agent. An inquiry-based lesson asks collaborative groups to design and implement an experiment to test this property. Using samples of silver nanoparticles and a strain of...
Curated OER
Cylinder: Student Worksheet
In this cylinder worksheet, students compare three different cylinders to experiment which one has the greatest volume. Students interact with rectangles as they experiment with the cylinders.
Curated OER
Cell Size and Division or How Big Would You Want To Be if You Were a Cell?
Students investigate why cells divide. For this cell size lesson plan, students observe how far a solution travels into 3 different size model cells of agar. They answer questions about the most effect movement of "nutrients" into the...
Curated OER
Why Are Cells So Small?
Students examine the relationship between cell surface area and the ability of materials to diffuse through a cell. They participate in an experiment in which they determine which materials diffuse easier than others. They complete...
Curated OER
Maintaining Body Heat
Students observe and compare heat loss in different objects with surface-to-volume ratios. They transfer this comparison to the physical characteristics of animals in their environment. They focus on how whales maintain their body heat.
Gallantsbiocorner.com
Transport Across the Membrane
Take your biology class on an exploration of the inner workings of cells with this multimedia presentation. Looking closely at the structure of cell membranes and the processes of osmosis and diffusion, this resource explains for...
Curated OER
Animal Skin
Young scholars investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals. In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science lesson plan, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the environment. Using...
Curated OER
Hierarchy Theory and Biotic Hierarchy
Students examine the hierarchy theory and biotic organization by playing a teacher-created card game matching groups of items, such as organelles, in suits of four. They discuss the reasons for their hierarchical organization of the...