Rice Krispy Treats in a cone

I really wanted my students to "see" exactly how a conic section is created. Yes, I could show them this visual

taken from Wikepedia

but what exactly does that mean, and again, HOW does that happen.

So, after reading a blog (I completely forget who's blog it was), I decided to buy conical shaped paper cups and stuff them with rice krispy treats. (I made one for each student. I hadn't realized how much rice krispy treats I would have to make, and how time consuming that job was. Thank God for Michelle Maher @mmaher19923 for helping me.)

The students were then given a paper plate, a plastic knife, and a conical shaped rice krispy treat to dissect. I had the students look back at the definitions of each and asked them to cut their treat into the 4 different conic sections. I had the students take pictures of their conic sections as they went, and post to a padlet.

Did this activity make them understand conic sections any better than the students that have come before them? I am not sure, but it certainly was fun, it made for a lot of laughter, and it was done on a day when majority of the students were taking some type of state test. Very low stress.

Will I do the activity again? Absolutely!

Why do the soft skills matter?

If you invest time in the student teaching the soft skills, regardless of subject, then the student knows you care about him.

If the student knows you care about them, then the student cares more about your class.

If the student cares more about your class, then the student cares more about school.

If the student cares more about school, then the student is (more likely) wants to be at school.

If the student wants to be at school, then the student tries harder in their other classes.

If the student tries harder in their other classes, then the student's overall demeanor toward school becomes more positive.

If the student's overall demeanor toward school becomes more positive, then the student is a happier person.

If the student is a happier person, then the student tends to treat people with respect and appreciation.

If the student treats people with respect and appreciation, then the student becomes a better citizen.

Thus,

If you invest in the student teaching the soft skills, regardless of subject, then the student becomes a better citizen.