Cross Sections Lesson and Interactive Demonstration

This includes a lesson, worksheet, interactive demonstration, and discussion questions.  It has a printable worksheet as well. The site uses visual demonstration of cross sections of several 3D figures.  It will demonstrate the objects being sectioned in several different ways.

Weblink address (URL): 
Cross Sections Lesson and Interactive Demonstration

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

Upon completion of this lesson, students will:

  • understand the concept of cross-sections
  • gain experience manipulating polygons, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas
  • learn the difference between ellipses, parabolas, hyperbolas, and circles as they relate to conic sections
  • gain an intuitive understanding of the relationship between cross sections of three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional figures
  • discover the relationships between the number of faces of a three-dimensional figure and its two-dimensional cross-sections
     

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding

References

Contributors: 
Joanna Small
Originator: 
Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation