Materials

Centicubes, math journal

Important Terminology

length, width, height, area, volume, cubic centimters

Background Knowledge

The students will have completed the units on area and geopmetric shapes.

Hook

Children get 10 minutes to build whatever they want from the centicubes.

Lesson Sequence

10 min - children build whatever they want from centicubes. At the end of this activity they must estimate the number of centicubes in their creation. Explain that, because the centicubes occupy one cubic centimeter, the number of centicubes will be the volume of their creation. Remind them that estimate does not mean count. Have them record their estimate and how they made it in their journal.
5 min - Transformers rule! The children must now transform their creation into a rectangular prism. They may borrow extra cubes if necessary.
10 min - Have the children figure out the actual number of centicubes without counting them all. Remind them to record their thoughts in their journal.
10 min - As a class, have the students share their strategies.
15 min - Introduce the formula V = L * W * H, and relate it to the formula for area. Explain how, if you know the area of the base of any prism, you can calculate the volume with the formula V = A * H. Have the children re-form their prisms into a prism with different dimensions. but the same number of cubes. They should record their strategies in their journals

Key Questions

How can you calculate the volume without counting?

Assessment

The assessment in this lesson is anecdotal during, since this is the introduction. Their journals will be collected for diagnostic and formative purposes. Next lesson they will practice using the formula using a worksheet, which will be collected for formative assessment.

Rational

This will give the children another method to discover the formula for volume.

Lesson Layout

5 minutes - introduction to activity - they will draw a slip of paper from a bucket with a number on it. They will get that number of cubes and make a rectangular pyramid.
15 minutes - children will create the cubes
30 minutes - record results - prompt - how did you choose those dimensions?

Material

Centicubes or similar
Smartboard, overhead, or chart paper to record results
slips with the following numbers - 8,9,12,16,18,24,27,36 - several copies of each, vary for class size.

Assessment

Anecdotal - has the child discovered a means beyond trial and error

Rational

Strand Measurement Code Specific Expectations Determine, through investigation using stacked congruent rectangular layers of concrete materials, the relationship between the height, the area of the base, and he volume of a rectangular prism, and generalize to development the formula.

Material

Volume worksheet. Math Makes Sense textbook. Centicubes or simmilar

Vocabulary

height, length, width, volume, dimensions, formula

Hook

In general, you can't figure out the volume of something using centicubes. Instead you must use a formula and work it out using a formula
Say you want to give your teacher a present of a Tim Horton's cup. You want to make a box big enough to hold the cup. Calculate the volume of the cup.

Lesson Layout

10 min - Take up work from last session. Pull together ideas from last two lessons and have them develop the formula for volume.
5 min - Hook. Work through the problem on the overhead.
35 min - Work on worksheet

Assessment

Mark the worksheet when completed.

Enrichment

Anyone who finishes before the period is over can continue with the Math Makes Sense textbook page 212 #2,3,5,6

Remediation

Math Makes Sense p 211-212 #1,4

Implications for Future Lessons

The is the culminating lesson in the Volume unit. Final lesson is a summative test.