The lessons and materials available here come from a variety of sites and organizations. Some include offers for video or software, and some are lesson plans. For more on measurement, search or browse the measurement pages in the Internet Mathematics Library. A hands-on demonstration of the formula for the surface area of a sphere that uses a ball and a piece of wrapping paper to turn the formula for the area of a rectangle into the formula for the area of a sphere. A hands-on demonstration of the relation between diameter and circumference, and why the formula pi x diameter works every time.
Students construct an instrument to measure tree height, and learn how to use it.
Using the LxWxH formula, students invent ways to determine how many baseball boxes will fit a display case and how much water an aquarium will hold. They also learn that a formula is a shortcut for other methods of measurement and that the answer is always in cubic units. Introduces the meaning behind approximate measure by using triangles and trigonometric ratios to compute the approximate height of a school smokestack or tall structure near the school. Uses computer technology to create experimental heights, as well as statistical analysis to predict the actual height of the stack. A hands-on demonstration of the formula for the surface area of a sphere that uses a ball and a piece of wrapping paper to turn the formula for the area of a rectangle into the formula for the area of a sphere.