The third dimension and an introduction to volume and prisms

Instructional Support What tools or resources will students have to use in their work that will give them entry to, and help them reason through, the activity? Task What is the main activity that students will be working on in this lesson?
The first activity students will perform will be discovering terms and descriptions concerning the third dimensions. Working with solids, the students are encouraged to match definition based on prior 2D knowledge and other reasoning skills. The second activity is for the students to take cut out 3D figures and compare their features (i.e. smooth surface, pointed tip, no base, etc.) The third and main activity for the lesson deals with an introduction to prisms. For this activity, each group is given 48 unit cubes in the form of sugar cubes. From here, having previously discussed what a rectangular prism is, the groups are encouraged to create and record the dimensions of as many prisms as they possibly can.

Students are arranged in groups so that they can collaborate to build several prisms. Furthermore, the group orientation allows for collaborative discussion such that during the first part student can discuss and argue about the definition more easily. Also students have a common work area in the middle of the table groups which remain conducive to constructing many different prisms.

Learning Goals (Residue) What understandings will students take away from this activity?
Students will leave understanding that although a solid may have different dimensions, the volume can be the same. Rectangular prisms have a volume that is the product of the area of the base and the height of the solid.

What questions might you ask students that will support their exploration of the activity and bridge between what they did and what you want them to learn (the two green boxes)?
To be clear on what students actually did, begin by asking a set of assessing questions such as: What did you do? How did you get that? What does this mean? Once you have a clearer sense of what the student understands, move on to appropriate set of questions below.

Does this apply to other prisms? Students will leave with this question. Students will hopefully be forming their own understanding of what volume is.

What are the various ways that students might complete the activity?

Why does this definition make sense? What is the difference between a base and a lateral face? How do we find the height of a solid?

Evidence What will students say, do, produce, etc. that will provide evidence of their understandings?

The third dimension and an introduction to volume and prisms Students can match up the properties and definitions by discussing, working individually, or using the text. The second activity as several solution methods. Not only are their several solutions, students can create their prisms using: 1. Factors of 48 2. Having different heights and maintaining the height find the dimensions of the base 3. Create small prisms to comprise the final large prisms What is an edge? Does a three dimensional solid have sides? Is a solid with 2 x 2 x 12 the same solid as one with 2 x 12 x 2? What does orientation mean? Are solids with the same volume congruent? Are solids with the same base area congruent? Students will articulate observations concerning the many different solutions concerning the rectangular prisms with set volumes. Further, students will connect the Base area with other shapes (as done in chapter 8 dealing with area of polygons) and hypothesize about the Volume of prisms with other types of polygonal bases.