This document discusses how to calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism. It explains that the surface area is the total area around the outside of the prism. To find it, you calculate the area of each face and add them together. The key steps are: 1) Identify the length, width, and height, 2) Calculate the area of the sides as length x height x 2, 3) Calculate the area of the faces as width x height x 2, 4) Calculate the area of the ends as length x width x 2, and 5) Add all the areas together. A formula is provided as surface area = 2 x (length x width + length x height + width x height). Examples are given

1. Math 6: Measurement
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism

2. Explore
 How do we find the Area of the rectangle?
8CM
4CM
AREA = LENGTH X WIDTH
AREA = 8CM X 4CM
AREA = 32CM

3. Explore
 Area = L x W
 Let’s try it with a few things around the classroom!!
 Make sure you use the proper terms 

4. Connect
 Surface Area of a rectangular prism:
 The area AROUND the rectangular prism
 Think about it: How much wrapping paper do I need to wrap the
box?

5. Connect
How do you find the surface area?
 Find the area of the 6 faces and then add them up.
 Step 1: Identify the measurement of the length, width, and
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height.
Step 2: Find the area of two sides (Length x Height) x 2
Step 3: Find the area of adjacent sides (Width x Height) x 2 sides
Step 4: Find the area of ends (Length x Width) x2 ends
Step 5: Add the three areas together to find the surface area
Step 6: Don’t forget to use the proper conventions

6. Connect
 Use the nets of the rectangular prism to calculate the surface
area.
 Label the Faces
 Calculate the area of each face
 Add up the totals

7. Connect
 Create a chart to find the surface area:
Face
Length (cm)
Width (cm)
A
B
C
D
E
F
 Then add up all the totals from the area
Area

8. Connect
 Use this formula:
 SA (Rectangular Prism) = 2 x (L x W + L x H + Hx W)

9. Connect
 Let’s try to calculate the surface area of tissue boxes using
one of these strategies.

10. Homework
 pg. 222 - 223 #1, 2, 5, 7, 9
 Work book: pg. 86 + 87