Lyrics

Verse I
We’ll take it kind of slow and start with a sphere
You’ll hear it straight from me, so have no fear
r represents the radius, you know
Take 4 × πr², then you’re good to go
Got that, let’s move on to the cube
6 × a² is what you gotta do
a is the length of the side of each edge
If all y’all are flowin’ just nod your head

Chorus
It’s all in the surface, so take a ride
‘Round the top and the bottom and around the sides
We inform with a purpose, the formulas for surface
Yeah, that’s the area we’re gonna describe
(×2)

Verse II
Stay with me, it’s gonna get tricky
When you’re dealing with a box it’s a little more iffy
a, b, and c are the lengths of three sides
With different combinations, just multiply
2 × a × b, add it to the 2 × b × c,
and add it to the 2 × c × a
Now you’re dealing with the surface of a box (OK!)

Chorus

Verse III
The surface of a cylinder may take a little time
It’s the top and bottom plus around the side
If it helps think of a Coca-Cola® can
So you can make more sense of the formula at hand

2 × π r ² added with the 2 × π r h
h is the height, all right? That’s it, you see
The cylinder’s surface is a breeze

Resources

Further Reading

Website: ABCTeach
Volumes and Areas (PDF)
This worksheet has formulas for finding the volume, area and surface area of various shapes.

Website: Math Is Fun
Cylinder
This website explains the characteristic of the cylinder, including the equations for findings its surface area and volume.

Website: Math Is Fun
Sphere
This website explains the characteristics of the sphere, and the equations for finding its surface area and volume.

Lesson Plans & Activities

Website: Discovery Education
Exploring Geometry
This activity involves constructing three-dimensional figures and computing their surface areas.

Website: Illinois Institute of Technology
Volume and Surface Area
This activity teaches students the difference between volume and surface area.

Website: Math Forum
Surface Area of a Sphere
This visualization exercise should help students better understand how to find the surface area of a sphere.