*A cube with side legth 1 unit, called a "unit cube," is said to have "one cubic unit" of volume, and can be used to measure volume.
* A solid figure which can be packed without gaps or overlaps using N unit of cubes is said to have a volume of N cubic units.
Developing Schema - In the days prior students were given the yellow cm cubes and asked to see how many would fit in smaller rectangular prisms. We then discussed the formulas for calculating volume for both rectangular prisms and cylinders.
Essential Questions -
How do we represent the inside of a 3D figure?
How do you find volume of geometric figures?
Process - Students were given measuring tools, calculators and the 3D objects seen in the picture. They had to work together with their team of 3 or 4 to calculate the volume of each of the objects. Students had to discuss their measurements and agree on one calculation. I didn't use a set thinking routine. However, students had to use the schema we developed prior and they had to ask questions in the groups to ensure their calculations made sense.
After the groups had the calculations, we came back as a group to check answers. It became obvious that not all groups were monitoring for meaning because their calculations made no sense. This activity was one of the first in many to help them determine that volume is what can fit in a 3D object. I wanted them to have a concrete idea of what volume was before making it more abstract.
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