Bake a Surface Area Cake

1. Students will break into groups.
2. Teacher will explain the situation: 

IMAGINE THIS-
You are the owner of a bakery and your specialty is cakes that are extravagant and over the top. Your week at the shop consists of 3 customers who are ordering cakes for “The Big Day.” 

1. Students will first need to know what composite figures are and how to find surface area.
   1. Surface Area: the amount of space covering the outside of a three-dimensional shape
   2. Composite Figures: A shape composed of a combination of other shapes - like a wedding cake!
2. Show this video to learn more about surface area and other important formulas!
3. Students will complete practice problems on the Surface Area Practice Sheet.
4. Show this video to learn about composite figures!
5. Students will complete practice problems on the Composite Figure Practice Sheet!
6. Now, students are ready to begin their week at the bakery. Click here for the plan for 3 customers’ Big Day!

Differentiation: Provide students 3 different surface areas with the 3 different models on the worksheet. Have them match the surface area to the correct cake model.

Extension: Have students find the volume of each cake. Give students a set amount of volume to serve as a "serving" and they find the number of servings. Give students a surface area and have them construct a cake meeting the dimensions. Have students create a scale model of the cake.

Use worksheets listed in resources.