Constructing and Calculating Volumes


Type: Mini-lesson

Theme: Coding

Grades: 5, 6

Learning Target: Students will construct complex rectangular prisms in OpenSCAD, then calculate their volumes.

Instructions

Step 1: Remind students how to calculate volume of a rectangular prism: V=L*W*H.

Step 2: Teach students how to construct color-coded rectangular prisms with OpenSCAD.

Example:

color("yellow")cube(6);
translate([6,0,0])color("green")cube([6,3,2]);
cube(6);
translate([6,-3,0])color("blue")cube([3,3,2]);

Step 3: Demonstrate how to calculate volume of the complex prism. 

Step 4: Students will work individually or in pairs to create a complex color-coded prism.

Step 5: Have students take a take a screenshot (snip) and calculate the volume of their prism. Solutions should be posted/pasted in the chat. Other students and groups will check their work.

OpenSCAD

Exit Ticket
Explain why the units are raised to the power of three.
CCSS Math Practice
  • I can construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • I can attend to precision.
NGSS Crosscutting Concepts
  • Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
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Samples