Park City Mathematics Institute
Geometrical Concepts from Constructions, Models, and Investigations

Build It as A Group
Ginny Burton and Kelley Butler

Go to:
    teacher_overview.pdf
    teacher_notes.pdf
    student_task_cards.pdf

      

WHAT IS IT?
Group activity.

GRADE LEVEL
Grades 7-9

STRAND
Geometry

CLASS TIME
Two-50 minute class periods.

ABSTRACT
Group interaction is a highlight of this lesson.

  • Student roles are clearly defined. Participation by all students is necessary to complete the activity.
  • There are multiple entry points for students to succeed, as well as the expectation that multiple representations are given.
  • Student and Teacher Task Cards are attached.

The Lesson is divided into three parts:
Task 1: Each student in a group builds a different shape and increases each of its dimensions by a scale factor of two.

  • They use Cuisenaire Rods to form the shapes.
  • They discover relationships about the surface area and volume of the original shape.

Task 2: Students with the same model are grouped together to become "experts" of their shape. Each group is devoted to one shape.

Task 3: Students return to original groups (Task 1 groups) to develop a poster to communicate their findings.

There is an optional Gallery Walk for groups to share their conclusions and representations.

OBJECTIVE

  • Students understand and communicate the relationships among scale factors in one-, two-, and three-dimensional geometry.
  • Students will also demonstrate the ability to work effectively as a group.
  • Students may use different construction methods to scale up the shapes.

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IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute is an outreach program of the School of Mathematics
at the Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0314808.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.