Teacher Guide This lesson is designed to teach kids to ask a critical thinking question that you can’t just put into a search box to solve. To do that, we encourage them with smaller questions that search can help them answer. Make sure that you read the notes for each slide: they not only give you teaching tips but also provide answers and hints so you can help the kids if they are having trouble. Remember, you can always send feedback to the Bing in the Classroom team at You can learn more about the program at bing.com/classroom and follow the daily lessons on our Partners In Learning site. In Learning site Want to extend today’s lesson? Consider using Skype in the Classroom to arrange for your class to chat with another class in today’s location. And if you are using Windows 8, you can also use the Bing apps to learn more about this location and topic; the Travel and News apps in particular make great teaching tools.Skype in the Classroom Alice Keeler is a mother of 5 and a teacher in Fresno, California. She has her B.A in Mathematics, M.S. in Educational Media Design and Technology and is currently working on a doctorate in Educational Technology with an emphasis in games and simulations. EdTech speaker, blogger, and presenter. Founder of coffeeEDU, a 1 hour conference event for educators. New Media Consortium Horizon report advisory panel member. High school math teacher for 14 years. Currently teaching pre-service teachers curriculum, instruction and technology at California State University Fresno. Passionate that kids are not failures, researches gamification in education to increase student motivation. This lesson is designed to teach the Common Core State Standard: Mathematics CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.2 CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.2 Apply concepts of density based on area and volume in modeling situations (e.g., persons per square mile, BTUs per cubic foot).* CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.3CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSG.MG.A.3 Apply geometric methods to solve design problems (e.g., designing an object or structure to satisfy physical constraints or minimize cost; working with typographic grid systems based on ratios).* CSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST CSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

What shape is the best for the salt pits? © Bobby Haas/Getty Images

In the southwest corner of Senegal, the Saloum River empties into the Atlantic. On its way to meet the ocean, the river spreads out across the landscape, forming the Saloum Delta, sometimes called the Sine-Saloum Delta. Like other deltas, the Saloum creates a varied and fecund wetlands habitat, now protected as the Saloum Delta National Park. But perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Saloum Delta are the salt pits that locals have dug along portions of the land. The waters in the salt pits host algae and trace minerals, which create the pits’ vivid array of colors. Residents of nearby villages – mostly women – harvest the salt by hand to sell at market. Recently, organizations such as the World Food Programme have helped Senegalese salt harvesters iodize their salt. Aside from creating a new business venture in the region – and a new business class in women-operated iodizing facilities – the practice will help reduce iodine deficiency-related illness in the population. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

1 Image Search Search Bing images for the Saloum Delta salt pits. 2 Web Search Search areas of regular geometric shapes to see what is known about the relationships of the areas as the shapes increase in number of sides. 3 Web Search Search volumes of prisms/cylinders, pyramids/cones, and spheres/hemispheres to see how the formulas are developed. 4 Web Search Search for the angle of repose and determine how it will help decide on a shape for the salt pits. 5 Web Search Search 3D shapes for maximizing volume while minimizing surface area. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

5 Minutes What shape is the best for the salt pits?

1 Image Search Search Bing images for the Saloum Delta salt pits. 2 Web Search Search areas of regular geometric shapes to see what is known about the relationships of the areas as the shapes increase in number of sides. 3 Web Search Search volumes of prisms/cylinders, pyramids/cones, and spheres/hemispheres to see how the formulas are developed. 4 Web Search Search for the angle of repose and determine how it will help decide on a shape for the salt pits. 5 Web Search Search 3D shapes for maximizing volume while minimizing surface area. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

1 Image Search Search Bing images for the Saloum Delta salt pits. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

2 Web Search Search areas of regular geometric shapes to see what is known about the relationships of the areas as the shapes increase in number of sides. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

3 Web Search Search volumes of prisms/cylinders, pyramids/cones, and spheres/hemispheres to see how the formulas are developed. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

4 Web Search Search for the angle of repose and determine how it will help decide on a shape for the salt pits. What shape is the best for the salt pits?

5 Web Search Search 3D shapes for maximizing volume while minimizing surface area. What shape is the best for the salt pits?