Total solar eclipses are quite rare, so much so that they make the news when they do occur. This task explores some of the reasons why. Solving the problem is a good application of similar triangles
This lesson unit is intended to help teachers assess how well students are able to solve quadratics in one variable. In particular, the lesson will help teachers identify and help students who have the following difficulties: making sense of a real life situation and deciding on the math to apply to the problem; solving quadratic equations by taking square roots, completing the square, using the quadratic formula, and factoring; and interpreting results in the context of a real life situation.
Students will be reviewing and learning surface area, volume, and density over three days. The remaining two days will be used for the students to explore the topics with hands-on material using everyday shapes.*This work was made possible by the generous support of the National Science Foundation, grant #1755631, and the University of St. Francis Noyce STEM Educators Program
The purpose of this task is to engage students in geometric modeling, and in particular to deduce algebraic relationships between variables stemming from geometric constraints. The modelling process is a challenging one, and will likely elicit a variety of attempts from the students.