Watch out! Math can actually be FUN!

Surface Area: How much paint do I need to paint a garage?

We did not have a garage. So, we used our tissue box! You have to find the area of each surface. 

We measured L and W (length and width) and put the measurements on a sticky note.

Then we calculated the area (A=LxW) of each surface and wrote that on each sticky note. 

Then we added them all up.

We noticed that the shape of the box (and of the garage) was a rectangular prism so the right and left sides were the same area. The top and bottom were the same. The left and the right were the same.

Nyton used centimeters to calculate. So his answer was in square centimeters.

Hoksina wanted to use the tape measure, so  he had to calculate in inches. His answers were in square inches.

That was tricky because of the fractions!

When you buy paint to paint a real garage, you need to find the total surface area. 

You read the paint can to see how much it covers. It might be in square feet not inches, so it is tricky.

Then you make sure you buy a little more paint because then you can repaint the scratches if someone scrapes the wall with their pickup truck. For this garage, three gallons should do it!