Unit 7, Lesson 15
Distinguishing Volume and Surface Area
Grade 7
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
This is the first of two lessons in which students apply their knowledge of surface area and volume to solve real-world problems. The purpose of this first lesson is to help students distinguish between surface area and volume and to choose which of the two quantities is appropriate for solving a problem. They solve problems that require finding the surface area or volume of a prism, or both, then consider whether the quantities make sense in terms of the context (MP2).
- Compare and contrast (orally and in writing) problems that involve surface area and volume of prisms.
- Decide whether to calculate the surface area or volume of a prism to solve a problem in a real-world situation, and justify (orally) the decision.
- Estimate measurements of a prism in a real-world situation, and explain (orally) the estimation strategy.
Let’s work with surface area and volume in context.
Required Preparation
None