Unit 10 · Culminating Projects
Volume & Surface Area in Action
Three project versions that pull together everything from Unit 10 — volume of rectangular prisms with whole and fractional edge lengths, surface area from nets, real-world cost decisions, and virtual architectural explorations. Pick one, or run them as differentiated options. Each is self-guided, interactive, and printable.
Choose Your Version
Three Ways to Show Mastery
📦 Package Design Challenge
Measure a real box you own, then spec it out: volume (with fractional edges and unit cubes), surface area from the net, and cardboard cost. Compare your box with a partner's efficiency (material per cubic unit), then with real USPS shipping boxes. Self → Peer → World, with self-checks, EN/ES, and Levels 1 & 2.
Version B · Real-World Investigation🐠 Aquarium Build Lab
Design a fish tank for a real space you pick: full volume, water volume at a fill height (% full), glass for an open-top tank (5 faces — no lid!), and glass cost. Compare your tank with a partner's and with real aquariums. Self → Peer → World, with self-checks, EN/ES, and Levels 1 & 2.
Version C · 3D Architecture Expedition🏛️ World Architect Expedition
Travel the globe virtually with live Google Maps links to explore world landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Great Pyramid, Louvre, and CN Tower. Determine the correct solid model (rectangular prism, square pyramid, or parallelogram) and apply surface area, lateral area, or volume formulas to estimate construction and restoration costs.
Students Start Here
Pick Your Path
Same math, same rubric. Both versions practice the exact same skills and are graded the same way — choose the story that sounds more fun to you.
Take your time. Plan for two to three class periods. Your work saves automatically, so you can stop and come back.
Stuck on writing? Every response box has a “Need a starter?” helper, and the last step includes a Rate My Work check before you turn it in.
For the Teacher
How to Use These Projects
Standards: 6.GR.2 (volume of rectangular prisms with whole-number and fractional edge lengths) and 6.GR.4 (surface area using nets, including rectangular prisms). Version C (World Architect Expedition) also extends into 6.GR.1 (area of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids) and square-pyramid lateral area, so grade it against that broader scope.
Versions A and B are parallel. They assess the same skills through different real-world contexts, so you can assign Version A and Version B to different students and grade on the same rubric (built into each project). Great for choice boards, make-up work, or A/B class sections. Version B adds the important distinction between a closed-box surface area and an open-top tank (5 faces vs. 6 faces), making it slightly more challenging. Version C is an extension option that travels to real landmarks and layers in 6.GR.1 area work.
Built in: a Self → Peer → World arc where students measure a real object, Visual Math Notes vocab, a Formula Bank, Sentence Frames, EN/ES toggle, read-aloud, Level 1 / Level 2 differentiation (including optimization challenges), live calculators, peer comparison with material efficiency (SA ÷ V), a progress bar, hints, save/resume, report export (.txt), a 4-point rubric, and a print button.
Answer key: Open the teacher answer key for all three versions.