Students sometimes need a break from paper and pencil math problems in order to keep them interested and stimulated in math. For some kids certain math concepts are too abstract and need to be made more hands-on.
Many students have a difficult time understanding the concepts of area and volume.
Textbooks have pictures which don't always allow the students to grasp the ideas. This activity takes away the abstract idea and replaces it with a concrete model. This becomes a good cooperative team effort at problem solving. Students are provided with materials, but no initial instruction is given on how to build their models. When the groups have completed their projects they will send a spokesperson to the front of the room to share with the class what they have built, what it is called, and how it compares to some of the other models built by other groups.