One of the topics I have been covering is surface area. I have discovered that most of my students have issues with understanding it and understanding scale. One project I have had students in the past is to design their dream bedroom. They were to draw a floor plan, the walls, and ceiling with all lights, windows, and doors marked in. Many of my students took it a step further by adding in the furniture. The problem came with furniture and windows that were out of proportion with the scale for the room. The surface area comes in when they add the cost of flooring, wall covering, and ceiling up to get a total cost for finishing the bedroom. I found a nice app called room planner which allows students to create a floor plan, add windows, doors, and furnishings and view it in 3-D. I think having a 3D view will help students "see" their dream room better.
In reality, this is really the only type of surface area that most of my students will use in their lives. I know very few folks who need to find the surface area of a pyramid, or cone or other shape like that. I am writing this in the airport as I wait for my connection in a couple of hours.
I hope to revisit the volume app in a couple of days.
Showing posts with label Surface Area. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surface Area. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Good websites for math
Due to the cultural celebration beginning at school tomorrow, today is really the last day this week I will be teaching, so I made the majority of work, iPad based.
In period 1 we've been studying scientific notation. The students went to http://janus.astro.umd.edu/astro/scinote/ It allows the student to do practice problems before taking the quiz. I had the students do 10 practice conversion problems before they took the quiz. On Monday, they will do practice multiplication and division problems using scientific notation before they take the quiz.
In period 2 we've been simplifying, multiplying and dividing rational numbers. We used this website: http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/algtrig/ATO2/indexATO2.htm to practice these types of problems. The lessons and practice sections do work on the iPad. I enjoyed it because the students could do the problems and then check their work. If they got stuck they could go to the solution and check out how the problem was done step by step. It gave them some guidance and allowed them to be independent. I did not see any students go to the solutions and just copy down the answers.
For periods 4 and 5 They will be going to http://www.mathguide.com/lessons/SurfaceArea.html
to learn more about Surface area. It comes with a lovely explanation and practice problems afterwards.
I printed QR codes on paper, put directions under the codes and had the students use the iPads to read the codes so they knew what to do and the code sent them directly to the website. I did not spend time trying to have them type it in.
I am using these activities to engage them and to monitor their understanding of the materials. I am glad to find sites that work on the iPad.
Tomorrow I'll be writing on three math apps I downloaded that I plan to try tonight. I'll let you know how they work.
In period 1 we've been studying scientific notation. The students went to http://janus.astro.umd.edu/astro/scinote/ It allows the student to do practice problems before taking the quiz. I had the students do 10 practice conversion problems before they took the quiz. On Monday, they will do practice multiplication and division problems using scientific notation before they take the quiz.
In period 2 we've been simplifying, multiplying and dividing rational numbers. We used this website: http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/algtrig/ATO2/indexATO2.htm to practice these types of problems. The lessons and practice sections do work on the iPad. I enjoyed it because the students could do the problems and then check their work. If they got stuck they could go to the solution and check out how the problem was done step by step. It gave them some guidance and allowed them to be independent. I did not see any students go to the solutions and just copy down the answers.
For periods 4 and 5 They will be going to http://www.mathguide.com/lessons/SurfaceArea.html
to learn more about Surface area. It comes with a lovely explanation and practice problems afterwards.
I printed QR codes on paper, put directions under the codes and had the students use the iPads to read the codes so they knew what to do and the code sent them directly to the website. I did not spend time trying to have them type it in.
I am using these activities to engage them and to monitor their understanding of the materials. I am glad to find sites that work on the iPad.
Tomorrow I'll be writing on three math apps I downloaded that I plan to try tonight. I'll let you know how they work.
Monday, April 15, 2013
logs and volume and surface area.
The project started off well. One young lady discovered that they use logs in regard to determining pregnancy while the other discovered it is used for carbon dating of artifacts. So they both had a great start. I am going to do some research to see if I can find a website to help the geometry class work more on calculating surface area vs calculating volume. Due to having to take time off, I did not use my usual introductory lesson on 3 dimensional shapes where I have them build actual models out of construction paper, and tape. I need to find a program that will allow students to put pieces together to create 3D shapes on the iPad. For instance, a cylinder is made from two circles and a rectangle. I use this lesson to help my hands on and visual learners to see how the formulas for SA and Volume relate to the object.
I found a website http://www.mathguide.com/lessons/SurfaceArea.html which shows in wonderful detail how to find the surface area on various 3 dimensional shapes with a quiz to take afterwards for each shape. This works on the iPad so I'm going to have my students try it tomorrow to see if it helps them increase their understanding for finding surface area.
I found a website http://www.mathguide.com/lessons/SurfaceArea.html which shows in wonderful detail how to find the surface area on various 3 dimensional shapes with a quiz to take afterwards for each shape. This works on the iPad so I'm going to have my students try it tomorrow to see if it helps them increase their understanding for finding surface area.
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