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...
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...
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
Volume and Surface Area
In this volume and surface area worksheet, 10th graders solve and complete 10 different problems that include using spheres to examine changes in volume and surface area. First, they complete the chart shown using the formulas given....
Virginia Department of Education
Exploring 3-D Geometry
Take young mathematicians on an exploration of the world of 3-D geometry with this seven-lesson unit. After first defining the terms perimeter, area, and volume and how they apply to the real world, students continue on to learn the...
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. Â They use their knowledge to relate it to the real world by making a model of a livestock tank.
Concord Consortium
Maximum Volumes
It's great to have a large swimming pool. An interesting performance task asks learners to optimize the volume of pools for a given surface area. They consider four different shapes for pools and find the maximum volume for each pool.
Curated OER
Effect on Surface Area and Volume
Students identify the effect the change of dimensions causes for the volume and surface area. In this geometry lesson plan, students compare perimeter, area and volume as they play around with the dimensions of the polygons. They discuss...
Curated OER
Surface Area and Volume
Accompanying the lesson at www.shodor.org, this worksheet present students with a series of questions about the volume and surface area of a rectangular prism and a triangular prism. Students predict how these values would change if the...
Curated OER
Volume and Surface Area: Which Is More?
Learners explore the volume and surface area of three dimensional figures. Through the use of video, students discover three dimensional shapes, their uses in real-life applications, and methods used to calculate their volume and surface...
CK-12 Foundation
Area and Volume of Similar Solids: Similar Solids
Five questions make up an interactive designed to boosts knowledge of area and volume of solid figures. Question types include multiple-choice, true or false, and fill-in-the-blank. A scale model changes measurement to provide a visual...
Virginia Department of Education
Geometry and Volume
The history of math is fascinating! Utilize a woodcut primary source image from 1492 and posters from the 1930s to help geometers apply their volume-calculation skills to real-life questions.Â
California Education Partners
Yum Yum Cereal
Design an efficient cereal box. Scholars use set volume criteria to design a cereal box by applying their knowledge of surface area to determine the cost to create the box. They then determine whether their designs will fit on shelves,...
Curated OER
Surface Area and Volume of a Cube
Students explore finding the surface area and volume of cubes and cylinders. They construct similar three-dimensional figures from a two-dimensional drawing. Students derive the formula for volume and surface area through examination...
Radford University
Sand Castle
Don't let the task slip through your fingers like sand. Scholars design sand castles using hemispheres, pyramids, cones, and cylinders of different sizes. They calculate the volume and surface area and consider how changing the...
Curated OER
A Cylinder Workshop
Students work with given formulas to solve for specific variables. The calculation of the volume of a cylinder and the change in volume when there is a constant surface area is analyzed in this lesson.
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...
Curated OER
SA/V Ratio and Rate of Diffusion
High schoolers 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.
Virginia Department of Education
Attributes of a Rectangular Prism
A change is coming. Pupils use unit cubes to investigate how changes in the length, width, and/or height affects volume and surface area. They extend the results to write and test predictions on the effect of changing multiple sides on...
Discovery Education
Weathering Cubes
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
Teach Engineering
Discovering Relationships Between Side Length and Area
Consider the relationship between side length and area as an input-output function. Scholars create input-output tables for the area of squares to determine an equation in the first installment of a three-part unit. Ditto for the area of...
Curated OER
Linear, Square, and Cubic Units
Linear, square, and cubic units are all investigated as different types of packages are measured. The teacher will need supplies such as a box of aluminum foil, a package of ribbon, and a bag of mulch. The class determines the...
Virginia Department of Education
Similar Solids and Proportional Reasoning
Double the dimensions, quadruple the surface area. Pairs build similar prisms and compare the ratios of their surface areas and volumes to the ratio of the heights. Given two similar cones, partners determine the ratios of the lateral...
Radford University
Choosing the Best Cylinders
Don't be fooled: the taller glass doesn't always hold the most. Given the dimensions of different cylindrical containers for beverages and popcorn, pupils calculate the volumes. They see how changing the dimensions affects the volume and...