Surface Area Lesson Plan for 6th Grade Example Students

Topic: Surface Area of Prisms

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to calculate the surface area of prisms.

Materials

• Large boxes or blocks
• Rulers
• Calculators
• Pencils

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever seen a box or a block before.
• Ask students to describe the shape of the box or block they are thinking of.
• Ask students if they know how to find the surface area of a box or a block.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of surface area and explain that it is the total amount of space taken up by the outer surface of an object.
• Show students how to find the surface area of a box or a block using the formula for surface area of a prism, .
• Explain that the variables in the formula represent the dimensions of the prism (length, width, and height).
• Demonstrate how to use the formula to find the surface area of a prism.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with several prisms to work with and have them use the formula to find the surface area of each one.
• Challenge students to find the surface area of a prism that they create on their own.

Independent Practice

• Have students create a prism of their own and use the formula to find its surface area.
• Encourage students to check their results with a calculator and to show their work on a graph or equation.

Closure

• Review the concept of surface area and how it can be calculated for prisms.
• Ask students to share their findings for their prisms' surface area and discuss any discrepancies.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the concept of surface area and their ability to calculate the surface area of prisms.
• Have students turn in their completed worksheets as an assessment of their understanding of the concept.