Cover Letter:
In this unit, we focused on learning geometry and trigonometry. We learned the equations for how to find the area of a square, triangle, trapezoid, and circle. This lead us to learning about surface area, lateral surface area and volume of prisms. While we learned about geometry, we also learned the basics of trigonometry, which included sine, cosine, and tangent. Learning about all of this lead us to solving the unit question, Is the honeycomb an efficient way to store honey? To begin this unit, we learned about area. We first learned about area of triangles and had a quiz to make sure that we understood the basics of area. We took this knowledge of area of right triangles and applied it to the next assignment. For this assignment, we got into groups and worked on coming up with an equation that encompassed number of sides and perimeter to find the area of any polygon. This helped us discover that, the more sides a shape has, the bigger area even if the perimeter stays the same. Once we learned this, we took this knowledge and applied it to volume. I decided to do a challenge extension called 3D Shapes and in this I experimented with volume and surface area. I figured out that the bigger the area, the bigger the volume. This was very important for answering the unit question. For the second POW that we did, we researched and designed tessellations. This shows that shapes that are exactly the same and fit together can form very compact and efficient shapes and structures, like a honeycomb. After learning so much content, we compiled it all together to conclude the unit and answer the unit question. In the end, we decided that, yes, the honeycomb is a very efficient way of storing honey. The hexagonal shapes of the individual compartments allow for maximum volume with minimal materials. Seeing as hexagons tessellate very well, this also makes it so that the beehives can be compact but still hold a lot of honey. It turns out that bees choose a very good way to build strong, efficient, honey storing hives. |