Farming is full of mathematics, and it provides numerous real-world examples for young mathematicians to study. Here, we look at a cylinder-shaped storage silo that has one flat side. Given certain dimensions, students need to determine the current storage capacity and design a new storage facility to use for an anticipated increase in production. The activity uses knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem, area of a circle, properties of triangles, understanding of volume, unit analysis, and percentage increase.  

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math

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Pros

• Well-defined, real-world activity that will appeal to a wide variety of learners
• Includes possible extensions to build this task into a larger interdisciplinary project

Cons

• None

Common Core

7.RP.A.1 7.RP.A.3 7.G.B.4 7.G.B.6 8.G.B.7 HSG-SRT.C.8 HSG-C.A.2 HSG-MG.A.3 MP1 MP2 MP4 MP6 MP7