This Warm-up prompts students to compare four objects made of cubes. It gives students a reason to use language precisely (MP6). It gives the teacher an opportunity to hear how students use terminology to talk about the characteristics of the items in comparison to each other. During the discussion, ask students to explain the meaning of any term they use as they describe the orientations of the objects and the number of cubes in each and reason about their configurations.

This is the first time students experience the Which Three Go Together? routine in grade 5. Students are familiar with this routine from a previous grade, however, they may benefit from a brief review of the steps involved.

For all Warm-up routines, consider establishing a small, discreet hand signal that students can display to indicate they have an answer that they can support with reasoning. This signal could be a thumbs-up, a certain number of fingers that tells the number of responses they have, or a different subtle signal. This is a quick way to see if students have had enough time to think about the problem. It also keeps students from being distracted or rushed by hands being raised around the class.