Math 67(revised 3/10)
Unit Outline Title: 3B-Solids & Measurement
Name of Lesson: Surface Area
Essential Question(s)
Unit:
How does volume and surface area affect the marketing of products?
Lessons Questions:

What kinds of problems can be solved using surface area of right rectangular prisms and
cylinders?

How can I estimate the Surface Area of simple geometric solids?

How can I use areas of plane figures to derive formulas for the Surface Areas of solid figures?

How can I use manipulatives and nets to help compute the Surface Area of rectangular prisms
and cylinders?

How do I calculate the Surface Area of rectangular prisms and cylinders using appropriate units
of measure?
Assessment Description/Performance Task:
Constructed response
Informal assessment
Performance task
Selected response
Brief Description:
 Ongoing informal/formal assessments created by the teacher.
 Formative Assessment for surface area of a rectangular prism: Journal writing/warm up
 Formative Assessment for surface area of a cylinder: Quiz
 Formative Assessment for surface area: Graphic Organizer-have students cut out the figures
and arrange with the correct solid.
 Use of performance tasks below provided at www.georgiastandards.org Math 6 Framework
CCSD Version Date: June 6, 2006
Instructional Methods
 Students have not been exposed to surface area. They have learned about 2-d area
formulas for triangles, circles and quadrilaterals. Provide students with the formulas for
solving surface area that will be given to them on the CRCT after they have investigated the
concept:
Surface Area Rectangular Prism: 2(lw)+2(wh)+2(lh)
Surface Area Cylinder: 2 r 2  2 rh
Have students investigate the nets of a rectangular prism and cylinder by identifying the
plane figures contained in each (teachers could provide geosolids and nets.) Next, they
should identify how to find the areas of these figures. Last, have them find the sum of the
areas to identify the surface area. If this is done in groups of 3, give each group a different
size prism & cylinder and then compare the results to come up with possible formulas.

Students will need to review how to find the area & circumference of a circle. The Cast
Away activity could be used for this review. Geometer’s Sketchpad template to compare
diameter to circumference.

Use Hands On Standards Grades 5-6, Measurement Lesson 5: surface area of a
rectangular prism using snap cubes.

Use Hands On Standards Grades 7-8, Geometry Lesson 8: surface area of cylinder &
prism using relational geosolids.

Reinforce that “Area is Squarea” so that students still see area as the number of squares
needed to cover the object and that squared unit is required.
 For estimation, bring in a rectangular prism (ex. box of crackers) and a cylinder (ex. can
of Pringles.) Ask the students how a company figures out how much cardboard would be
required to package the items. Have them estimate using mental computation. Then, have
the students measure the dimensions and use their formulas they discovered to calculate
the actual surface area.
 Present Wrapping Activity
 Bookmark & Formula Sheet
 State Performance Task: “Cylinder Task”; additional performance tasks can be found in
the Volume lesson: tasks can be separated into 2 parts of finding the surface area and then
finding the volume.
 Tiered Cylinder Task (above): Task A; Task B; Task C
Resources
 Holt Mathematics Course 1: Chapter 10 lesson 9.
 Holt Mathematics in Context Level 1: “Reallotment” sections A-D to review area. Section
E contains surface area and volume together.
 Kay Toliver Video: “Circles” –check out from C & I
 http://regentsprep.org/Regents/math/fsolid/Solids2.htm -S.A. & Volume
 http://www.321know.com/geo.htm -S.A. of both solids & game
 http://www.teacherschoice.com.au/Maths_Library/Area%20and%20SA/area_9.htm

Differentiated Assignments:
 Remediation: Use of manipulatives and formula flash cards as needed for all activities.
Performance Tasks for review: “Discovering Pi”; “Using the Equation C/d=  ”; and “Deriving

the Area of a Circle”. Use Hands On Standards Grades 5-6 Measurement Lessons 8 & 9 to
review area/circumference of a circle using relational geosolids and fraction circles.
Extension: Have students formulate surface area formulas for pyramids and cones
Lesson Considerations:
By completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
 Estimate the surface area of right rectangular prisms and right circular cylinders by
rounding and using compatible numbers
 Find the surface area of right rectangular prisms and cylinders by using manipulatives and
by constructing nets
 Determine the surface area of right rectangular prisms and right circular cylinders by
CCSD Version Date: June 6, 2006

substituting given values for their dimensions into the correct formulas
Solve engaging problems that require determining surface area of right rectangular prisms
and right circular cylinders
Vocabulary:
Surface Area
CCSD Version Date: June 6, 2006