What better way to learn about volume and surface area, then measure packages of candy! We began our 12 day unit following winter break. To peak our learners' interest we sent the above picture in a Remind message, letting our learners know we had been asked to determine how companies determine the cost of their products. Learners were intrigued and ready to tackle this problem!
Hitting the Valentine candy isle at our nearest store provided so many wonderful packages to use in our classroom! When learners first saw the various candy packages, we had them create a map of all academic vocabulary words that could be used to describe the package and it's contents. By activating their prior knowledge, our learners were hooked and ready to solve the problem!
We first found the volume of various packages of candy. As I walked around our room, listening to the mathematical justifications, I heard various comments made about what if they changed the size of the candy? Do you think this is the same way they set the price for king sized bars? The best one was, why can't every day in school be like this?
Moving into surface area, I had several learners question their measurements because some volume and surface areas were equal, where others varied from what they assumed would be the larger amount. Watching them reflect on their volume chart and reassess if they did it correctly provided the perfect opportunity to talk about problem solving and not being afraid to make a mistake.
Students will spend this week justifying how companies use volume and surface area to determine unit price. After listening to their discussions over the past week, I can't wait to hear what creative ideas they share with the class. Stay tuned to hear what innovative ideas they come up with!
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