Surface Area of a

Rectangular Prism
Getting Ready Calling Stick Activity
What is the name of shape A?
A
What is the name of shape B?
C
Square Cube
Rectangle Rectangular Prism
What is the name of shape C? What is the name of shape D?
B
D
Getting Ready Think Pair Share
What similarities and differences do you see
between any of these shapes?
A
C
Square Cube
Rectangle
Rectangular Prism
B
D
Side 2
Bottom
Back
Top

Side 1

Front


Length (L)
Width (W)
Height (H)
A rectangular prism always has
____ sides, or faces.
6
Extension
Calculating Surface Area
Calculating Surface Area
To help us see all six faces of a rectangular
prism, mathematicians sometimes unfold the
box to see a drawing called a net.
Net of a cube Net Faces
Internet Applet Vocabulary
Back to lesson
Vocabulary
When a box is unfolded so you can see all the
sides as a flat pattern, this is called its net.
Net of a Rectangular
Prism
Rectangular Prism
Back Back to lesson
Vocabulary
Each side of a rectangular prism is called a face.
A rectangular prism
has six faces.
Back Back to lesson
So, how do we find the surface area of this
rectangular prism?
4 cm
2 cm
3 cm
Answer
Internet Applet
Front

Side

Top
Front
= 4 cm x 3 cm = 12 cm
2
= 4 cm x 3 cm = 12 cm
2
= 2 cm x 3 cm = 6 cm
2
= 2 cm x 3 cm = 6 cm
2
= 4 cm x 2 cm = 8 cm
2
= 4 cm x 2 cm = 8 cm
2
52 cm
2
+
Scaffolding
3 3
4
4
2
2
Back
Side 2
Bottom
Example
Back
Side 1
Side 2
Top
Bottom
Find the surface area
Calculate the area of
your rectangular prism
Find the mistake(s) in the problem below.
Front
Top



S
i
d
e

6 in
12 in
4 in
Scaffolding
6
12
4
6
4
12
Front
= 6 in x 12 in = 72 in
2
Back = 6 in x 12 in = 72 in
2
Side = 4 in x 6 in = 24 in
2
Side = 4 in x 6 in = 24 in
2
Top = 6 in x 4 in
= 24 in
2
Bottom = 6 in x 4 in = 24 in
2
240 in
2
+
The side is not 4 x 6,
its 4 x 12!!
= 4 cm x 12 cm = 48 in
2
= 4 cm x 12 cm = 48 in
2

= 288 in
2

Summary Question Think Pair Share
OBJECTIVE: SWBAT find the surface area of a rectangular prism
Scaffolding
Warm Up
1. Find the area of the front, side, and top of this rectangular prism.
Side
Front
Top
12 in
4 in
3 in
3
3
4
4
12
12
Front
Side
Top
= 3 in x 12 in
= 3 in x 4 in
= 4 in x 12 in
= 36 in
2
= 12 in
2
= 48 in
2
2) Find the circumference and area of a circle with radius 5 cm.
Radius
= 5 cm
C = 2r = 2 x 3.14 x 5 cm = 31.4 cm
A = r
2
= 3.14 x 5 cm x 5 cm = 78.5 cm
2





Summarize Whole Class Discussion
OBJECTIVE: SWBAT find the surface area of a rectangular prism
1. Find the area of the front, side, and top of this rectangular prism.
Side
Front
Top
12 in
4 in
3 in
Front
Side
Top
= 36 in
2
= 12 in
2
= 48 in
2
96 in
2
right?

Surface Area = 96 in
2
+

1. Find the area of the front, side, and top of this rectangular prism.
Summarize Whole Class Discussion
OBJECTIVE: SWBAT find the surface area of a rectangular prism
Side
Front
Top
12 in
4 in
3 in
Front
Side
Top
= 36 in
2
= 12 in
2
= 48 in
2
96 in
2
+
right?

Surface Area = 96 in
2
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
Remember, there are six
sides to a rectangular
prism
Front and Back
Side 1 and Side 2
Top and Bottom

Summarize Whole Class Discussion
OBJECTIVE: SWBAT find the surface area of a rectangular prism
Side
Front
Top
12 in
4 in
3 in
Front
Side
Top
= 36 in
2
= 12 in
2
= 48 in
2
Back = 36 in
2
Side = 12 in
2
Bottom = 48 in
2
96 in
2
96 in
2
+

Surface Area = 192 in
2
1. Find the area of the front, side, and top of this rectangular prism.
Agenda:
1) Warm Up Individual Work
2) Launch Whole class discussion
3) Explore: Making the Equation for Surface Area
Partner Activity
4) Class work
5) Review Class work
6) Summary
7) Exit Ticket Individual Work to be
handed in to teacher
OBJECTIVE: SWBAT find the surface area of a rectangular prism
Launch Whole Class Discussion
Are you ready for
some algebra?!
A formula uses only letters, numbers, and symbols
to find a mathematical value.
You already know area formulas for some shapes:
Length (L)
Width (W)
Rectangle
Triangle
base (b)
Height (h)
Circle
radius (r)
Area =
L x W
Area =
b x h
Area = 3.14 x r x r = r
2
Scaffolding
Need a hint? Write the formulas for the front, side 1, and the top.
Then write the formulas for the back, side 2, and the bottom.
Explore
With your partner, try to write a formula to find the surface area
using l for length, w for width, and h for height.
Back
Side 2
Bottom

Side 1

Front
Length (l)
Width (w)
Top
Height (h)
Length (l)
Length (l)
Height (h)
Height (h)
Width (w)
Width (w)
Dont forget that there
are six sides on a
rectangular prism!
Back
Side 2
Bottom

Side 1

Front
Length (l)
Width (w)
Height (h)
Area of the Front =
SA =
Length x Height
LH
Area of the Back =
Length x Height
Area of Side 1 =
Area of Side 2 =
Top
Width x Height
Length x Width
Width x Height
Area of Top =
Length x Width
Area of Bottom =
2 + WH 2 + LW 2
Length
Length
Width
Width
Height
Height
Scaffolding
Formula for Surface Area Whole Class
SA =
LH
WH
+ 2
LW
2 + 2
One cool thing about this equation is that
it doesnt matter in what order you find
the area of the faces.
SA = 2 WH +2 LW + 2 LH
This is an example of the Commutative
Property of Addition ( a + b = b + a )
Find the surface area of this rectangular prism:
6 cm
3 cm
4 cm
Lets try an example
SA = 2LH + 2WH + 2LW
Front
2 x 6 cm x 4 cm
= 48 cm
2
2 x 3 cm x 4 cm

Side

= 24 cm
2
2 x 3 cm x 6 cm
Top
= 36 cm
2
108 cm
2
+

+

4
4
6
6
3
3
Scaffolding
Practice
Take a shot at solving some of
the problems on the class
work.

Ill time you!
Class Work
Class work #1
Back to
Solutions
SA = 2(L x H) + 2(W x H) + 2(L x W)
SA = 2( 8 x 5 ) + 2( 4 x 5 ) + 2( 8 x 4 )
SA = 2 (40 cm
2
) + 2( 20 cm
2
) + 2( 32 cm
2
)
SA = 80 cm
2
+ 40 cm
2
+ 64 cm
2

SA = 184 cm
2

Class work #2
Back to
Solutions
SA = 2(L x H) + 2(W x H) + 2(L x W)
SA = 2( 12 x 4 ) + 2( 3 x 4 ) + 2( 12 x 3 )
SA = 2 (48 in
2
) + 2( 12 in
2
) + 2( 36 in
2
)
SA = 96 in
2
+ 24 in
2
+ 72 in
2

SA = 192 in
2

5 cm
2 cm
4 cm
5
5
4
4
2
2
Scaffolding
Exit Ticket
On a separate piece of notebook paper to be
handed in to your teacher:
Choose one of the following and answer on your paper:
1. Explain how to find surface area.
2. Find the surface area of this
rectangular prism.
3. If you arent sure about #1 or #2,
what is confusing to you about
surface area?
Surface Area of a Prism
Prism Surface Area Formula
Top : lw
Bottom : lw
Front : hl
Back : hl
Left : hw
Right : hw
Total
: lw + lw + hl +
hl + hw + hw

: 2lw + 2hl +
2hw
: 2(lw + hl + hw)
21
st
Century Lessons
Thanks to
Sarita Thomas
Shane Ulrich
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism
Lesson