Surface Area of Rectangular Prisms
Free to teach as-is — the teacher guide, student handout, and slides are included.
Free — we'll email you an access link. Google Docs format.
Objective
I can calculate the surface area of rectangular prisms.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
Khan Academy · 3:33Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by Khan Academy on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
A net is what you get when you open up a 3D figure, like cutting a cardboard box and laying it flat.
- 2
To find the surface area using a net, calculate the area of each region of the net and then add them together.
- 3
In the example, the areas of the triangles were 48 square units each, the side panels were 140 square units each, and the base was 168 square units.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
3 questions
What is a net of a 3D figure?
A rectangular prism has the following dimensions: length = 8 units, width = 5 units, and height = 3 units. Imagine you unfold this prism into a net. What shapes would you see in the net, and how many of each shape would there be?
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“A rectangular prism has the following dimensions: length = 5 cm, width = 3 cm, and height = 4 cm. Calculate the surface area of the rectangular prism.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
Get the materials
Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities
Student Handout
Printable worksheet
Slides
Ready to present
We'll ask for your email to send your access link — nothing else.
Teaching a group at a different level?
Where are your students right now? We'll rebuild this lesson to match — including the teacher guide, student handout, and slides, saved to your Google Drive.
Adapt This Lesson

