by Bryona Golding, Bellevue High School
Gary Jonas, Pasco High
Rebecca Jung, University Of Phoenix Online
Brent Mecham, Pine View MiddleSchool
Teacher Introduction
This WebQuest asks students to explore the use of geometric formulas and calculations to determine what kind of packaging will be most efficient for the Keebler Elves' newest cracker creation.
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Students will view PowerPoint presentations and complete internet activities to learn how to calculate the volume and surface area of prisms and cylinders.
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They will gather several oblong and cylindrical packages, calculate the volume and surface area, and use those to determine the unit rate.
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The volume indicates how much space is available in a container.
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The surface area covers the amount of material to make the package.
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The unit rate will give the ratio between the volume and surface area. This calculation indicates which container will hold the most crackers.
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Once students have collected data from these containers, they will graph and analyze the data in order to make a recomendation on the best cracker container.
Students will make their recommedations in a business letter to the Keebler Elves.
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They will first visit websites to review and practice sound persuasive writing skills and explore business letter formatting.
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They will then write their letters to the Elves using clear thesis statements and clear, well-organized support.
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They will submit these letters to turnitin.com to prevent plagiarism; they will also make use of the site's peer review feature to provide two other students with critical feedback.
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Finally, students will use their peers' comments to help them to revise their letters before publishing them through classroom presentation.
This activity is an interdisciplinary project that combines geometry, English, business, art, and technology. For guidelines in accommodating special needs students, please visit the teacher resources page.