Hands on Activity
I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand
- Chinese Proverb
When more than one method of learning is accessed the information has a better chance of being absorbed and retrieved. Students who have difficulty learning can be found to be on task more often when they are part of the learning process and not just spectators. Study after study has shown the value of hands-on learning, especially in math and science.
Here is an example of a hands on activity on the relationship between area and volume of prisms.
Using different shape and size prisms the students first estimate the volume of the shapes in comparison to each other.
The students then fill each prism with rice and measure the amount of rice each holds. Then the students measure the prisms and mathematically solve for the volume of each prism. Using the formula for a general prism V=Bh the students are reminded that they must first find the area of the base to plug into the formula to solve for the volume.
It is here an introduction to Cavalieri's Principle can be made, which directly relates the area of the cross section of any given shape to its volume.
Click the picture below for the related worksheet.