Triangles Lesson Plan for 7th Grade Students

Topic: Triangles

Objectives & Outcomes

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

Materials

• Calculator
• Graphic calculator or computer software for calculating surface area

Warm-up

• Ask students to describe what they know about triangles.
• Ask them to name the sides of a triangle and the angles between them.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of surface area and explain how it is related to the amount of space that a solid object takes up.
• Use the triangle template to show how to calculate the surface area of a triangle by adding up the areas of its sides (one side times the length of the side).
• Explain how to use the formula for the surface area of a triangle to calculate the surface area of any triangle.

Guided Practice

• Give students a few examples of triangles and have them use the formula and the triangle template to calculate the surface area of each triangle.
• Have students work in pairs to check each other's work.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose three different types of triangles and use the triangle template to estimate the surface area of each triangle.
• Have students create a chart to show their estimates and the actual surface area of each triangle.
• Encourage students to explain any differences between their estimates and the actual surface area.

Closure

• Review the formula for surface area and how to calculate it using a triangle template.
• Ask students to share any insights they gained about triangles during the activity.

Assessment

• Observe students during the activity and take notes on their understanding of the concept.
• Collect and grade their completed worksheets.
• Use a class discussion to assess students' understanding of closure and its effect on surface area.