Featured image of article: Making Mathematics Concrete Through Hands-On Construction

Making Mathematics Concrete Through Hands-On Construction

Students in an Algebra I Part I class are given a challenge. They have to construct a rectangular prism with a volume of 100 cubic inches out of the supplied materials.

A prism is a polyhedron that is formed by two equal and parallel faces, called bases, and different side faces, which are parallelograms. To complete the task successfully, the students must know the formula for volume (length x width x height) and apply it correctly to construct the prism to the specified volume.

Collaboration, teamwork, and problem solving through rapid prototyping are key skills needed for success.

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