Chapter 2.3 Surface Area and Volume
TITLE: Designing a Moon Station I
AIM:
Students should be able to:
· Know and explain volume and surface area
· Find surface area by counting faces.
MATERIALS:
· One inch graph paper for each pair of students.
· 9 cubes per pair.
· One investigation per pair.
GROUP SIZE:
Students should work in pairs.
DO NOW:
Math Now!
MINI LESSON:
The teacher revises volume and surface area of block structures, and what a “good structure” is. Tell the students that the volume of 1 block is 1 unit3 and that the area of 1 face is 1 unit2. Introduce the students to the investigation and ensure that they understand the task.
GROUP WORK
The students work in pairs on the problem. The teacher circulates and assists as needed.
SHARE:
Students share their designs and demonstrate how they calculated the surface area.
WRITING/REFLECTION:
Students work individually to explain how they would design a building with a volume of 9 units3 that had the greatest surface area.
Building For the Moon!
Congratulations! NASA has given your team the task of designing a new building to be used to start a colony on the moon.
The volume of the building must be 9 units3.
1. Use the cubes to design a moon building. Make it interesting. The volume must be 9 units3.
2. Using graph paper, draw front, top and side views of your building.
It is cold on the moon! The outside of the building (including the floor) needs to be totally covered in insulation.
3. Find the area of the insulation you will need. Justify your answer.
4. Insulation cost $2,380,000 per unit2. Find the cost of insulating your building.
OH NO!
Just before the flight, NASA reports that they must cut back on costs.
5. Change your design so the cost of the insulation is as small as possible.
6. Draw the top, front and side views of your new design.
7. Explain why you think your building is the cheapest to insulate.
REFLECTION
Explain how you would design a building using cubes that had the greatest surface area.