Introduction:
Middle school is an excellent time to explore the world of geometry, and surface area is a key concept students need to understand. To help make this process fun and engaging, here are 22 surface area activities for middle schoolers that can be easily incorporated into your lesson plans.
1.Cube Collaboration
Have students create different-sized cubes from construction paper and calculate their surface areas individually before comparing their results in groups.
2.Cylinder Stacking
Allow students to stack different-sized cylindrical objects and measure their combined surface area.
3.Dodecahedron Design
Have students cut out and assemble a dodecahedron using template printouts, then calculate its surface area.
4.Origami Adventures
Teach students to fold different origami shapes and compute their surface areas afterward.
5.Gift Box Challenge
Invite students to design gift boxes with unique dimensions and determine the amount of wrapping paper needed to cover them entirely.
6.Surface Area Scavenger Hunt
Organize a classroom scavenger hunt where learners find objects and calculate their surface areas.
7.Combining Shapes
Instruct students to combine multiple shapes to create new three-dimensional figures and compute their total surface area.
8.Classroom Objects Competition
Hold a competition for measuring the most surface areas from classroom items within a specified time frame.
9.Comfortable Camping
Seek ways of designing tents with varying dimensions that maximize both interior space and minimize material used.
10.Paint the Prism
Encourage students to create net drawings of prisms then calculate the amount of paint required for each face.
11.4D Movies Exploration
Show clips from 4D movies that visually teach geometry concepts relating to surface area, stimulating class discussions afterward.
12.Custom Calculators Creation
Help students create a spreadsheet or use an online tool for inputting measurements and automatically calculating surface area easily whenever needed.
13.Inside Scoop
Estimate the surface area of different ice cream scoops using spheres and cones as models.
14.Treasure Chest Exploration
Design and build three-dimensional treasure chests, incorporating surface area calculations in the process.
15.Sports Ball Wrap Up
Calculate the surface area of various sports balls to determine the amount of material needed for their production.
16.Chocolate Bar Breakdown
Measure chocolate bars’ surface areas and relate these measurements to fractions for a tasty math practice session.
17.Solar Panel Placement
Engage students in designing solar panels with a specific surface area for placement on rooftops, considering efficiency and aesthetics.
18.Geometry Pictionary
Play a version of pictionary where students draw figures with known surface area formulas, encouraging them to practice visualization skills.
19.Surface Area Artwork
Integrate art into your lesson by having students paint or draw figures while focusing on their surface area measurements.
20.Packaging Design Project
Assign a design project where learners create packaging material prototypes and calculate the required material based on their surface area calculations.
21.3D Printing Adventure
Introduce students to 3D printing technology and let them design items while considering material usage through surface area computation.
22.Triangulation Tower Tests
Practice triangulation techniques by constructing tower models from straws or toothpicks, then measuring their surface areas as part of a class competition.
Conclusion:
These 22 surface area activities for middle schoolers provide engaging ways to teach this essential geometric concept, instilling an interest in geometry that will benefit your students throughout their academic careers.
