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How much surface hides in a spoonful?

6th GradeSurface areaabout 3 minCCSS 6.G.A.4

Unfold a sugar cube, cut it smaller, then find two tennis courts inside a spoonful of charcoal.

Lesson Plan

Explore the surface area of rectangular prisms, then compare the total surface of a solid cut into smaller pieces.

  1. Question: Ask what students spot and what they are curious about. Read “How many squares now?” aloud. Have each student guess and say why.

  2. Question: Read “What would its surface cover?” aloud. Have partners explain their guesses to each other.

  3. Big idea: Pause. Ask a student to say the idea in their own words.

  4. Your turn: Have students try their own. Ask them to predict before they test.

How to run it

  1. Whole classPut the lesson on the board. At each choice the class votes, then you select the winner.
  2. SoloShare the link, QR code, or post to Google Classroom. Each student gets to take their own path.