What is Capacity?

Your name:
Grade level and school:
Title of lesson/activity:
Teaching date(s) and
time(s):
Estimated time for
lesson/activity:
Overview of lesson:
Provide a short
description (2-3
sentences) of the
lesson/activity.
Be sure to include a
description of the
mathematical task.

Eila West
King Elementary School Kindergarten
Exploring Capacity
March 14th
20 minutes for the discussion and 5 minutes for the end-ofdiscussion check
Students will be exploring what capacity is. They will be
comparing the capacities of containers. I will show students how
different containers have different capacities by having one
container full of sand and pouring the sand into a different
container. We will discuss how the new container may hold
more/less sand than the initial container because the capacities
differ.
Students have just learned how to compare weight. This is the
first time capacity is being introduced.

Context of lesson:
Sources:
List the source(s) you
used in the creation of
your lesson plane.g.,
Everyday Math

Everyday math

Learning Goals
Learning Goals
List the learning
goal(s) you have
for your students.
Use measurable
behaviors that can
be linked to the
assessments.
Students will
understand
capacity and be
able to compare
capacities.

Connection to Standards
State the content expectations from the
Common Core State Standards that you
address in your lesson.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects,
such as length or weight. Describe several
measurable attributes of a single object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.2
Directly compare two objects with a
measurable attribute in common, to see
which object has "more of"/"less of" the
attribute, and describe the difference. For
example, directly compare the heights of two
children and describe one child as
taller/shorter.
Unpacking the mathematics

Connection to
Activities

Students will be
comparing the
capacities of a water
bottle and a mug by
seeing how much
sand can be held in
the two different
containers.

Solution to the problem

On the capacity worksheet:

1. The bathtub holds more.
2. The jug holds more.
3. The truck holds more.
4. In order from least to greatest: pan, jar, van
5. In order from least to greatest: net, pot, truck

Different ways to solve

the problem

Connection between the

learning goals and the
mathematics task.

Different strategies students could use:

Visualizing the objects

Thinking about the sizes of the objects

Thinking about the capacities of the objects

Thinking about which object is larger, smaller, etc.

Thinking about the dimensions of the objects

The mathematics task works on the learning goals as

students are thinking about the different capacities and
comparing the various capacities of the objects.
Attending to the Learners

Anticipating
student ideas:
Students may have some prior knowledge of how different objects may
be able to hold different amounts. For example, students may realize
how a pool can hold more water than a bathtub. Yet, students may not
know the vocabulary word capacity. I plan to work with this challenge
by very clearly explaining the definition of capacity. Their prior
knowledge may be helpful as I can relate capacity back to what they
already know (ie: explain how a bathtub has less capacity than a pool
because it holds less water- make the content relatable)
Likely student responses:
Realizing that a larger object typically has more capacity
Realizing that different shaped objects may have different
capacity
Having difficulty using the word capacity
Thinking about these likely student responses, I will do my best to
relate the content to what the students already know. I will also
encourage my students to use the proper vocabulary term capacity
rather than using familiar words such as bigger or more.
Making the
content
accessible to

To help ALL students engage productively, I will

Call on a variety of students
Present the material clearly and concisely, such as new

all students:

vocabulary terms, so students of all levels clearly understand

Identify assumptions and make content relatable to prior
knowledge
Visually showing/demonstrating so that all students can see the
two objects and the sand
Making connections to students experiences
Assessments

Type of
Assessme
nt:
End-ofdiscussioncheck

Learning-Goals Connection
The brief written check will assess whether students understand that
different objects have different capacities. The check will also assess whether
students understand that an object that holds more has a greater capacity.

Materials:

Instructional Sequence
Water bottle, mug, sand, capacity worksheet

Tim
e

Main
components

Steps Describing What the

Teacher
and Students Will Do:

Notes and Reminders

(including management
considerations)

Communicate HOW, not just WHAT, you

plan on teaching, and provide enough
specificity that someone else could teach
from your plan. This includes scripting the
key questions you plan to ask.
3
min

Set-up:

Hold up two containers of different

sizes (water bottle and a mug). Have
children describe similarities and
differences, focusing on their sizes.

Which container is taller?

Heavier?
Which is longer? Shorter?
What can we say about how
much they can hold?

Call on a variety of
students

Guide students to
list a variety of
containers, even
large ones such as
pools

Introduce
capacity and
potentially write it
on the board

Try and find clear

containers so that
students can see
how much sand is
filled up

Introduce capacity as a word that

describes how much a container can
hold. Make a list of different
containers (cups, buckets, bowls,
pools) and explain that they will
compare the capacities of various
containers.
Go back to the two containers.
Which container has more
capacity? Or, which container
do you think holds more?
Less?
How can we check?
Students will be watching me do the
activity. They will be reminded to sit
on their bottoms and watch carefully
and quietly. They will be reminded to
raise their hands if they have
something to contribute.
4
min

Independent
work on
problem:

Have students test their predictions

about capacity by filling one container
and then pouring the contents into
the other (Put sand in the water
bottle, poor the sand from the water
bottle to the mug).
Tell students to think independently
about what will happen when we
transfer the contents of the sand from
one container to the other. Call on a
few students to hear their predictions.
Test their predictions by

demonstrating the transfer in front of

the students.
1
min

Launching of
Discussion:
What question
or prompt will
you use to get
the discussion
off the ground?

8
min

Orchestratio
n of the
Discussion:

Before we poured the sand into the

mug, the bottle was full with sand.
When we poured the sand from the
bottle to the mug, the mug was only
half full. Why do you think this is?

Guide students to understand that

since the bottle was completely full of
sand, but after pouring it into the
mug, the mug was only half full, this
means that the mug can hold more.
This means the mug has more
capacity than the bottle.

Which container could hold

more?
Why do you think that is?
What does this mean about
their capacity?
What if the mug was
completely full after pouring
the sand into it, just like the
bottle? What would that mean
about the capacity of the
mug?
What if the mug was
overflowing and not all of the
sand fit? What would that
mean about the capacity of
the mug?

Guide students to work off of one

another:
Can you repeat what __ said?
Can you put what ___ said in
your own words?
Do you agree with what ___
said?
Why/why not?
Repeat/rephrase student thinking.

Clearly show
students how the
sand transferred
from one container
to the other. Make
a point of stating
how the first
container was full
of sand, but after
pouring it into the
second container,
the second
container was only
half full of sand.

Ask questions in
response to
student thoughts.
Rephrase student
thoughts.
Have students
repeat other
students.

4
min

Conclusion:

Ask students:
Were you surprised by which
container held more?
When might you compare the
capacity of containers in real
life?

Alter as necessary
if discussion goes
differently

Sit at the center

and watch
students do the
worksheet

Discuss how capacities are used in

real life. Conclude with discussing
how what we learned today is
applicable in real life so it is important
to know what capacity is and think
about capacity.
Examples:
Think about how much water
fits in your bathtub at home.
Now think about how much
water fits in a pool that you
might go to. Which has more
capacity?
o Cup of water vs bathtub
o Cup of water vs jug of
milk
5
min

End-ofdiscussion
check

Explain todays star job.

Star job (at top of page) is an
independent worksheet. Students will
be determining which object has a
greater capacity. For the first part,
they will be circling the object that
can hold more, or, has greater
capacity. For the second part, they will
be ranking the objects from least to
greatest capacity. I will show them
this by pointing at the worksheet and
explaining what I mean as I show
them.
I will also make sure to point out that
these are real objects, not toys.
Students have previous knowledge of
least and greatest, so they should
be able to apply it to this new idea of
capacity.
Talk about how this star job is
important because I need to use it for
school. Talk about how this means I
need them to do their very best.
Also talk about how I have noticed

that some students have been

copying each other. Talk about how
this does not help us learn.

Reflection on Planning
Learning goal for self:
State at
I hope to be able to effectively teach the new
least one learning goal that you have for
vocabulary word capacity to my students. I
yourself, with regard to your teaching. In
have never taught my students new vocabulary
other words, what are you working on to
words. Especially with new ESL students, I would
improve your teaching practice?
like my explanation of the new word to be clear
and concise.
Preparing to teach this lesson:
I thought through timing, discussed options with
my mentor teacher, and looked through my
planning.