Use the area of polygons to calculate the area between curves. Pupils calculate areas under income and expense curves by filling the space with squares and right triangles. Using that information, they determine the profit related to the situation.

Concepts

area, area under a curve, income, expenses, snow, area of squares, area of triangles

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the activity as an introduction to finding the area between curves
• Lead a discussion on when the profit (area) would be negative and when it would be positive

Classroom Considerations

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Pros

• Shows students the correct answer if they get the question wrong
• Challenges learners to determine why the value of the triangle is not equal to half the value of the square—good critical thinking

Cons

• None