Revisit Volume
10 min
Narrative
The purpose of an Estimation Exploration is for students to practice the skill of estimating a reasonable answer based on experience and known information. In this activity, students estimate the number of sugar cubes in a bowl. During the Activity Synthesis, revisit what students know about rectangular prisms and volume and connect it to the image of the sugar cubes.
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display the image.
- “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 1 minute: partner discussion
- Record responses.
Student Task
How many cubes are in the bowl?
Record an estimate that is:
| too low | about right | too high |
|---|---|---|
Sample Response
Sample responses:
- Too low: 3–6
- About right: 30–40
- Too high: 60 or more
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- “What would make it easier to find the exact number of cubes?” (If the cubes were organized in a way that we could count groups. If we could see them all.)
Standards
Addressing
- 5.MD.5·Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.
- 5.MD.C.5·Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.
15 min
15 min
Knowledge Components
All skills for this lesson
No KCs tagged for this lesson
Revisit Volume
10 min
Narrative
The purpose of an Estimation Exploration is for students to practice the skill of estimating a reasonable answer based on experience and known information. In this activity, students estimate the number of sugar cubes in a bowl. During the Activity Synthesis, revisit what students know about rectangular prisms and volume and connect it to the image of the sugar cubes.
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display the image.
- “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 1 minute: partner discussion
- Record responses.
Student Task
How many cubes are in the bowl?
Record an estimate that is:
| too low | about right | too high |
|---|---|---|
Sample Response
Sample responses:
- Too low: 3–6
- About right: 30–40
- Too high: 60 or more
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- “What would make it easier to find the exact number of cubes?” (If the cubes were organized in a way that we could count groups. If we could see them all.)
Standards
Addressing
- 5.MD.5·Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.
- 5.MD.C.5·Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.