Education Technology

Getting "A-Round" Area

Subject Area
Math: Middle Grades Math: Geometry
Level
6-8
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire™ Apps for iPad®
TI-Nspire Version
3.6
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS

Getting "A-Round" Area

Activity Overview

This lesson involves using sectors of a circle to form a parallelogram and, from this shape, investigating the area formula for a circle.

Objectives

  • Students will give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle

Vocabulary

  • circumference
  • area
  • pi
  • radius of a circle
  • parallelogram

About the Lesson

The lesson assumes students have a knowledge of the area formula for a parallelogram.

 

The lesson involves using sectors of a circle to form a parallelogram and, from this shape, investigating the area formula for a circle.

 

As a result, students will:

  • Use approximations for the circumference and radius of a circle.
  • Connect circumference and radius of a circle to the dimensions of the constructed parallelogram to develop an area formula for a circle.

Subject Area
Math: Middle Grades Math: Geometry
Level
6-8
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire™ Apps for iPad®
TI-Nspire Version
3.6
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS
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