Surface Area for Pyramidsin Everyday Life (6.G.

4)
Domain: Geometry

Big Idea (Cluster):

Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume.

Common Core Standards:

6.G.4Represent 3-dimensional figures using nets of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the
surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical
problems.

Mathematical Practice(s):

MP 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

MP 2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively
MP 4: Model with mathematics
MP 6: Attend to precision
MP 8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Content Objectives: Language Objectives:

Develop a strategy for finding surface area in a real- Describe your strategy for finding surface area to your
world problem. group members.

Solve real-world and mathematical problems Draw a net for a three-dimensional figure.
involving surface area of three-dimensional figures
using nets. Check solution and process by asking “Does this make
sense?”

Vocabulary: Connections to Prior Learning:

Surface Area Base Face Students will have had experience with calculating
Pyramid Lateral Face area for squares, rectangles, and triangles between
Square Pyramid Net grade 5 and earlier in the grade 6 Geometry unit.
Triangular Pyramid Students will also have practiced decomposing prisms
Triangular Prism and pyramids into nets in order to calculate surface
area.

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Questions to Develop Mathematical Thinking: Common Misconceptions:

 What measures of the figure are involved to
solve for surface area?
 What strategies or formula might be helpful to
solve?
 What are the appropriate units to use in a surface
area measurement?
 Which two-dimensional figures make up the
three-dimensional solid?
 How might drawing a net help you solve
efficiently?
 How do you decide which face to use as your
base?
 Do you need to solve for total surface area for
the given scenario?
Students may struggle to visualize the three-
dimensional figure on a two-dimensional surface.
Provide three-dimensional models when able and help
students make connections between the model and the
image of the three-dimensional figure on paper.
Students will often confuse surface area and volume
labels. Continue to help students make connections
between surface area being a two-dimensional
calculation of a three-dimensional figure.
For pyramids, especially triangular pyramids, watch
for students who confuse slant height with height of
pyramid.
Students may also struggle to identify the base face
dimensions of a triangular pyramid.

ASSESSMENT:
Observe student work and listen to student conversations for:
 Discussion of strategy to solve before calculation begins
 Use of nets to solve for surface area
 Accurate identification of faces being calculated when total surface area is not being solved for
 Accurate label of unit or square measure

Use question 2 as a formative assessment as students are asked to work backwards from surface area and
given base length.

Use question 3 as a formative assessment as students will not be solving for all faces of the square pyramid.

MATERIALS:

Copies of “Pyramids in Everyday Life”

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN:
Launch:

Have students work on the warm-up question for the surface area of the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre.

Solution:
1960 meters squared, the floor is not glass on the inside (see photo on student launch copy)

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When students finish with the warm-up, ask:

 What two-dimensional shapes make up the faces of the pyramid?

 What are the area formulas for the faces? What were the dimensions of each face?
 Which faces were needed to calculate the amount of glass needed to construct the pyramid?
 How might the net be helpful to accurately calculate surface area in the real-world?

Explore:

Handout “Pyramids in Everyday Life” and have students read the directions individually. Then, have the
students summarize to their shoulder partner the directions and ask clarifying questions. Check for
unanswered questions regarding the directions. Before students begin their work, have students share what
teacher and students should see and hear in the class during their work. For example, we should see students
calculating, leaning in to discuss, and writing their responses. We should hear students discussing
predictions, asking questions of each other, designing a plan, and checking each other’s work.

Encourage students to first develop a strategy before they begin to calculate. Reinforce that students should
continue to use nets to solve for surface area or area of specific faces within the scenarios. A net will be
especially important to solve scenario 2 since students will not have deep understanding of solving two-step
equation.

When I observe students:

 Listen for students making sense of what the problem is asking them to do as a group(MP 1)
 When a group struggles with making sense of surface area within context, encourage students to use
nets to solve for surface area. Demonstrate using a net to make sense of a contextual problem. (MP 2)
 Listen for students discussing plan to solve before calculation begins (MP 1)
 When a group or class struggles to design a plan, use a think-aloud model to demonstrate
“developing a plan” to solve a problem.
 Check student work for use of incorrect dimensions to calculate area of a face, especially with
triangles (MP 6)
 Check student work for accurate calculation of surface area within context (MP 4 and MP 6)
 Check student work for accurate label of unit or square measure (MP 6)

Questions to Develop Mathematical Thinking as you observe:

 What measures of the figure are involved to solve for surface area?
 What strategies or formula might be helpful to solve?
 What are the appropriate units to use in a surface area measurement?
 Which two-dimensional figures make up the three-dimensional solid?
 How might drawing a net help you solve efficiently?
 How do you decide which face to use as your base?
 Do you need to solve for total surface area for the given scenario?

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Solutions:

1. Fernando does not have enough wrapping paper because he needs 153.09 cm2 of wrapping paper and the
sheet of wrapping paper he has is 150 cm2. He is short 3.09 cm2.
2. The slant height is 3 cm.
3. Carly’s parents will need to purchase 3 bundles since they cannot purchase part of a bundle. They need
exactly 2.16 bundles to cover the 54 ft2 of roof but will have to purchase 3 full bundles.
4. Jaylin has purchased 64 ft2 of plywood to build a ramp which will use 55 ft2 of plywood. Jaylin will have
9 ft2 of plywood leftover.
5. Meffert’s will need to purchase 17,875 square inches of cardboard to package 1000 Pyraminx puzzles.
6. The total shed surface area is 480 ft2. Since Jazmyn and Carston are painting three coats, they will need
1440 ft2 of paint. Since one can covers 35 ft2 per coat, they will need to purchase 42 cans. They will have
extra paint since they only need 41 5/35 cans of paint.
7. Student answers may vary. Students should identify how to find the area of the base and add to the area of
the 4 congruent triangular faces.

Summarize:

As you review the solutions for each of the scenarios, have a different group share out their strategy to solve
and their solution. Have students highlight any patterns or generalizations they see in solving for surface area
of pyramids, especially square pyramids from the group’s work (MP 8).

Continually highlight how students used the net to make sense of the scenario and how to solve for the
surface area or area of faces.

Feedback for lesson improvement:

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The Louvre is an art museum in Paris, France. When you walk towards the entrance of the museum, you see a
large, glass, square pyramid. The base face has a side length of 35 meters. The glass pyramid has a height of
20.6 meters. The slant height of each triangular face is 28 meters.

Draw a net and identify the area formula(s) needed to accurately calculate the amount of glass needed to
construct the pyramid.

How much glass was needed to construct the pyramid? (Assume no glass pieces were broken during
construction.)

View from inside Louvre Pyramid

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Pyramids in Everyday Life

Model of Square Pyramid Net of Square Pyramid

For each of the following scenarios of pyramids in the real-world:

a. Discuss a strategy to solve with your group before calculating solution

b. Design a net to support your solution
c. Justify your solutions and check your work as a group
d. Check for accurate labels for your solutions

1. Fernando is buying his sister this candle in the shape of a square pyramid because she has been so nice to
him lately. Fernando has 150 square centimeters of wrapping paper left. Does Fernando have enough paper
to wrap the candle for his sister? If he does, calculate how much extra wrapping paper he will have. If he
does not, calculate how much more wrapping paper he will need to wrap the gift.

9 cm

6.3 cm

2. The surface area of a square pyramid is 85 square meters. The base length of the square is 5 meters. What
is the length of the slant height? Discuss with your team strategies to find the missing dimension.

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3. Carly’s parents are planning to replace the roof of their house. A roof is shaped like a square pyramid.
Home Depot advertises that one bundle of shingles covers 25 square feet. How many bundles should they
buy to cover the roof?

4. Jaylin is building a bike ramp that is shaped like a square pyramid. Jaylin uses two 4 foot by 8 foot sheets
of plywood. How much plywood does he have left over?

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5. The Pyraminx is a puzzle similar to the Rubik’s Cube but in the shape of a
tetrahedron. A tetrahedron is a triangular pyramid with all congruent faces. The
base edge of the puzzle is 2 ¾ inches and the slant height is 3 ¼ inches. If
Meffert’s (the company who manufactures the puzzle) produces 1000 puzzles a
month, how much cardboard will they need to purchase to package the product?

6. Review: Jazmyn and Carston designed a garden shed for their family. The shed design is the shape of a
triangular prism. They drew the net below. They plan to paint the outside of the walls, the roof, and the
inside floor with the same paint. Each surface they paint will actually need three coats of paint. The label of
the paint can states: “Coverage: 35 square feet per coat.” How many cans of paint should Jazmyn and
Carston buy?

7. Describe a general pattern for finding the surface area of any square pyramid. (How would you
describe to your classmate who was absent how to solve for the surface area of a square pyramid?)

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