Lesson Plan Format

Describe the context:

(Students, grade level, content,
learning styles, ethnic
breakdown, etc. Be detailed)

This is a lesson prepared for a class of 8
th
graders at a public
school on the north side of Milwaukee. The class is
comprised of 26
th
students, all African-American and almost
exclusively, if not entirely, from lower-class backgrounds.
About half the students in the class do not live in the
neighborhood and are bussed in. The rest of the students are
either driven by a parent or guardian or walk to school.

The classroom has moderate access to technology. There is a
classroom set of laptops that students use for writing
assignments and for some reading programs. The computers
do not have access to any program that could be used as an
instructional aid. Students are provided with calculators.

Almost all the students are primarily visual/physical learners
they prefer having a drawing or model available when
learning/practicing new concepts.


Students are familiar with the formulas for the area of 2D
shapes and have recently learned basic 3D shapes (prisms and
cylinders).
Learning Goals/Objectives
(Content Standard)


Affective Objectives: (related to
student attitudes and values;
think dispositions)

Cognitive: (related to the
mastery of knowledge: think
Bloom; Include the State
Standards)


Standards
CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.B.6 Solve real-world and
mathematical problems involving area, volume and surface
area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of
triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.

Affective Objectives
Students can identify the simple components a solid is made
from. (e.g., a rectangular prism is made up of rectangles, a
cylindrical prism is made up of two circles and a rectangle).

Cognitive Objectives
Students will be able to calculate the surface area of
cylinders, rectangular prisms, and triangular prisms.

Students will discover the formula for the area of prisms and
cylinders by breaking them down into simpler pieces
(rectangles, triangles, and circles).

Pre-Assessment: (What will
you do/what have you done to
know that the student(s) need to
be taught this information.)




A discussion with the cooperating teacher revealed that
students know the formulas for the areas of simple two-
dimensional shapes (rectangles, triangles, and circles), but do
not know how to calculate the surface area of a prism or
cylinder.

To be successful, students need to know the terms area,
surface area, circumference, cylinder, lateral area,
and prism. Of those terms, students are familiar with and

Assessment
(Criteria / Look Fors; How will
you assess learning?)


What Rubrics or other
scoring scales will be used?

Students Self-
Assessment


have previously used all but surface area and lateral area.


After discovering the formula for the surface area of a
rectangular prism as a class, students should be more
comfortable with finding the surface area of a triangular
prism.

Students will be able to correctly calculate the surface area of
prisms and cylinders given a drawing and their
measurements.


Students will self-assess when attempting to do the problems
on their own. If they can find the surface areas with minimal
help, they can see themselves as successful.

Enduring
Understanding/Essential
Question(s): (What are the big
ideas? What thought provoking
question(s) will guide the
lesson?)

How do I find the surface area of prisms and cylinders? How
can I solve a complex problem by breaking it down into
simpler, more manageable parts (in this case, decomposing a
3D object into 2D shapes)?
Instructional Procedures
Learning Strategies: (Be sure
to include specific strategies to
develop literacy of content)


Introduction
Pre (How will you motivate,
activate prior knowledge, . . .)


During
Demonstration



Participation



Practice



Closure
Post
Extension
Use IDEAL as a framework to guide students to finding the
area of the solids, especially the cylinders.






Open by ensuring students understand what is meant by
surface area. Ask the students if they know or can guess.
Model what it is using a large prism (a shoebox will suffice).

Divide the class into small groups, giving each one rulers and
a rectangular prism. Without giving them the formula, ask
them to determine the surface areas of the prisms they
received.

Once students are ready, ask each group how they did it. See
if any group was able to come up with a shortcut (if not,
point out that opposite faces on the prism have the same area).

Ask how we could determine the surface area of a prism if we
didnt have a ruler and were just given measurements. Use
this question to lead into finding a general formula. Using a
drawing, show how a rectangular prism can be broken down
into rectangles. Guide the class into determining what the
dimensions of each rectangle are. Show that by adding them
together, we get the formula for the area of a rectangular
prism.

Hand out triangular prisms. Again, ask them to calculate the
surface area. Use the same method of decomposition to
determine a formula.

Hand out cylinders. Ask how they are different than the
prisms (circles at the top, curved sides, etc.). Ask how we
could find the lateral area given that it is curved. If a student
mentions wrapping something around the cylinder,
demonstrate how we can unroll a cylinder into a rectangle.

Guide the students to understand that the width of this
rectangle is the circumference of the top and bottom circles.
Use this knowledge to come up with a formula for surface
area.

Ask students to find the surface area of the cylinders they
were given.

Hand out worksheets to the groups, have each group solve a
pair of problems and present their solutions.
Time
(Total and Specific)

10 minutes intro + measuring surface area of rectangular
prisms
10 minutes finding a formula for the surface area of a
rectangular prism
15 minutes finding the surface area of a triangular prism
15 minutes finding the surface area of a cylinder
15 minutes work time on problems (worksheet)

Total: 1 hour
Student Accommodations
Differentiation/Planning for
Individual Needs(RtI/PBIS):
When working in groups, students who need extra time will
be given it. Material is presented using multiple modes of
communication to accommodate different learning styles.


Resources and Materials:
(Include technology where
applicable/available/appropriate)


Rectangular and triangular prisms
Cylinders
Rulers
Worksheet