Finding Surface Area Using Nets

Asking a student to draw a net for a polyhedron without first seeing where they come from detaches them from the depth of the lesson. Many simply memorize how nets work (or don’t learn them at all). If students could see how a polyhedron unfolds into a net, they might have a better understanding of how to draw them. This lesson reguires a plugin called the unfold tool. Click on the link below for its download page.

Points, Lines, and Planes

This lesson demonstrates how to teach a lesson on points, line, and planes using GSU. The key to this lesson is the use of the orbit tool, which gives the instructors the tools needed to better explain the postulate that states: through any three points there is exactly one line.

Folding nets to create polyhedrons

Asking students to decide if a net creates a polyhedron (cube, prism, pyramid, etc…) using only visualization with no physical tools can prove to be a difficult task. In fact, many students may even be turned off from polyhedrons all together because of the level of difficulty in this task.

Surface Area and Volume of Pyramids and Cones

One concept that proves to be difficult to teach using a two-dimensional aide is height vs. slant height. Using GSU to model pyramids and cones in three-dimensions helps students not only see what the slant height is, but they can also see more clearly the right triangle formed by the height, apothem, and slant height.

Plotting Three-Variable Coordinate Graphing

In an Algebra 2 class, teachers explore three-dimensional algebra with their students by introducing the z-axis. Unfortunately there are few good models that teachers can use to help students visualize what coordinate points and equations look like in 3D. Students are asked to draw these points and 3D graphs using a pencil and “3D” graph paper. Students, especially with those who have spatial difficulties, are easily frustrated with the task.

More lessons will be available soon!