Unit Plan

Being Green – Minimizing the Surface Area of a Soda Can

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Being Green – Minimizing the Surface Area of a Soda Can unit plan also includes:

Save the world by designing a new soda can! Learners first measure the dimensions of a typical soda can and calculate its surface area and volume. They then use spreadsheet software to minimize the surface area for the volume, thus minimizing the needed raw materials. Based on the results, they make recommendations to keep the current design or use a different one.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Challenge the class to design other containers that may be friendlier to the environment
Classroom Considerations
  • Scholars need access to soda cans
  • Prior experience with spreadsheets is a plus
Pros
  • Provides rubrics for the project
  • Includes pictures and diagrams of sample work to help clarify directions
Cons
  • None
Common Core