Hi {{custom.firstName}},

 

In “Simple Prisms,” we show students two prisms and ask them, “What information would you need to calculate their volumes?” I hope students surprise you here!

Image of two prisms - rectangular and triangular - and the question What information would you need to calculate their volumes?

In these situations, I try very hard to forget the answers I already know so that student brilliance can surprise me all the more. For example, here is what some of our students have answered:

  • Base and the height
  • I would need the dimensions to get the area of the base and I would need the height at the very least. 
  • You would need height, width, and length for the square but you would also need the length of the third side for the triangular prism 

Each of those answers represents different ways of asking for similar information or similar ways of asking for different information. Please use whatever tools you want—potentially our snapshotting tool—to share these different responses with students.


You’ll help them understand the math and you’ll also help them understand that all of us are smarter than any one of us.

 

Dan & the Desmos Classroom Team

PS. Please give us feedback on the last lesson.

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Great advice from other teachers.

Lincoln, MA.

 

Be sure kids know triangle area before attempting this lesson.

 

Brookline, MA.

 

For additional scaffolding have unit cubes / physical manipulatives available (if possible).

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