Primary Subject

and Grade Level

Math, 5th Grade, March 17th 2016, 10:16 AM

Interdisciplinary
Connections

Writing: Students will express their findings on a task

sheet with words.
Real World: Pools, toys, boxes so many things use
volume daily!

Lesson Duration

1 hour

Relevance/Rational This lesson is important because it gives students

e
practice in finding volume. Yet this lesson also allows
students to work at their own pace and learn through
an inquiry based task.
Outcomes/Objectiv
es

Students will be able to find the volume of a box

using 1 inch cubes
Students will be able to see how the activity we
do relates to the formula for volume

Standards

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3
Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and
understand concepts of volume measurement.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3.A
A cube with side length 1 unit, called a "unit
cube," is said to have "one cubic unit" of volume,
and can be used to measure volume.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3.B
A solid figure which can be packed without gaps or
overlaps using n unit cubes is said to have a
volume of n cubic units.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.4
Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic
cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units.

Use of Formative
Assessment to
Inform Planning

This is the beginning of a new unit, so this is, in a way,

a formative assessment as well as a discovery task.
Still, past math warmups featuring geometry and the
CCSS show that volume is a new concept.

Class Information

Basic skills class

504s
Children with anxiety
Difficulty with comprehending and inferring

Overview

Technologies and
Other
Materials/Resource
s
Grouping Strategy

overall
Children from another class come upstairs

Students will complete an inquiry task to learn

volume. After the lesson, students will reflect and be
introduced to the

1 inch cubes
Boxes
Worksheets
Premade Anchor Chart

Students will be grouped based upon math ability.

Academic
Vocabulary

Volume is the measure of the amount of space inside

of a solid figure, like a cube, ball, cylinder or pyramid

Lesson
Procedures

Students will be called to sit at the carpet, facing

the whiteboard.
On the whiteboard, the following will be written:
Goal: Students will be able to find the volume of
an object using 1-inch cubes.
Students have a routine in place! Students write
their Math Thinking in their notebooks and are
then invited to share their thinking on the board
with the markers.
After a few minutes, wrap up the activity. Look at
the board and share thoughts about the
thinking. Leave the thinking on the board for the
entirety of the period. Take picture to be added
to the classroom.
Transition into task by asking the class to turn
and talk: What do we know about volume?
Circulate to listen. After a few moments, bring
attention back.
Point out what was heard, but do not explain
what volume is.
Explain that we will be doing an inquiry based
task.
Today, were going to do some math exploring.
You are going to be broken into groups. Each
group will be given a box and a set of 1 inch
cubes. On your math classroom, there is a
document that will give you instructions. Please
follow these instructions. You will have ten

minutes and then I will stop you and new

directions will be given.
Let students leave the carpet in by calling their
groups. While students are working, monitor and
circulate.
Students will be given the first half of the
worksheet via Google Doc, which will read as
follows:
o Use 1 inch cubes to answer the following
questions:
o How many 1-inch cubes does it take to fill
the length of the box? _____
o How many 1-inch cubes does it take to fill
the width of the box? _____
o How many 1-inch cubes does it take to fill
the height of the box? _____
o
o

How could we find out how many cubes it

takes to fit inside this box?
After ten minutes, stop the student work.
Announce. We might be a little confused
here, so I have posted a second part of the
worksheet on your classroom. Please
continue with those instructions.
Circulate.
With ten minutes left, bring students back
to the carpet. Ask students to turn and
talk about what they learned. Bring
attention back to the easel.
On chart paper, have the formula for
volume written (But hidden!) Explain to
the students that what we did today was
actually find volume!
I want you to keep this in mind for
tomorrow, as we will be going in depth
into the standard algorithm for finding
volume.

Differentiation

Groups will be determined by math ability.

Higher achieving students can get harder
problems.

Assessment

Conferencing and Observations

Criteria For
Success

Success in the task

Anticipated
Difficulties

Math anxiety might play a part in this lesson!

Overall nervousness about getting numbers
correct.

Reflections

1.
In general, how successful was the lesson? Did
the students learn what you intended for them to
learn? How do you know?
The students did learn what I intended. I know this
because the lesson the next day, in which we used the
standard algorithm, went very well. Students
remembered what we learned and used the algorithm
with ease. I also know that the lesson was a success
because the students inferred that they had the
multiply the width, height, and length together from
the activity itself, not from my telling them. This is
shown in their answers from their activity.
2.
If you have samples of student work, what do
they reveal about the students levels of engagement
and understanding? Do they suggest modifications in
how you might teach this lesson in the future?
The samples show that students understand that
length times width times height equals volume.
However, if I were to teach this lesson in the future, I
would add something to show that each cube is equal
to 1-inch (and, of course, double check to be sure that
this is true). I would also stress that the answer will be
cubed. I touched on this, but not as much as I would
have liked.
3.
Comment on your classroom procedures,
student conduct, and your use of physical space. To
what extent did these contribute to student learning?
The students used the entire classroom for this
activity. They were spread out around the room
investigating their boxes and measuring them
together. They worked together well and the
procedures in place only added to the organization
and success of the lesson.
4.

Did you depart from your plan? If so, how and

why?
Yes! Originally, the cubes were supposed to be 1 inch,
so the measurements would add up. However, due to
an oversight on my part, the cubes were actually a
little over half an inch. Once I realized this, I simply
told the students the answers dont have to match,
and we moved on. I also added a more concrete
closure in which students listed ways that they could
use volume in real life. This showed the real world
applications for the tool, which I feel left them more
engaged.
5.
Comment on different aspects of your
instructional delivery (e.g., activities, grouping of
students, materials, and resources). To what extent
were they effective?
I think this lesson in particular is one in which I really
realized that preparation is crucial. Early that morning
I had sets for each group ready to go with rulers,
cubes, a box, and a post-it, and the lesson ran smooth
because I was prepared. If I wasnt, the lesson would
have been chaotic! I think the way students were
grouped was extremely effective too, because I tried
to highlight everyone's strengths and put them with
people who are at the same math level as them. I then
assigned them boxes accordingly, with lower students
getting a box they could actually fill with the cubes,
and higher students getting larger boxes that would
require more thinking. This worked well, too, I think,
and gave each student the chance to really work at
their own pace.
6.
If you had an opportunity to teach this lesson
again to the same group of students, what would you
do differently?
Double check the cubes! Without a doubt, I would
definitely double check the cubes. The chaos of the
lesson could have definitely been avoided if I had
measured them before hand.
In addition, though, I think I would have solidified my
planning earlier. Due to a crazy week, I didnt have as
much time to plan this lesson, and I think that, if I had
more, I would have been able to develop a solid

closure that wasnt rushed.