Lesson Plan - Volume

Currently I am working on geometry with my 4th graders. We used the geoboards to discover what perimeter and area mean and how to calculate both. As a next step we will be exploring volume of rectangular prisms. I looking at the lesson plans on the disk I found a lesson involving base 10 blocks and calculating volume. I would typically introduce volume using connecting cubes but this year I will use the base 10 longs as an introductory lesson and then continue with prisms of different lenths.

Lesson Plan

This lesson is based on: "Building Boxes"

Anticipatory Set:
Complete/Review Do Now and homework

Learning Expectations:
* explore volume of rectangular prisms * utilize spatial reasoning to create prisms
* discover that rectangular prisms with different dimensions can have the same volume
* Develop proficiency with basic multiplication and division number facts using a variety of fact strategies

Activities:
* Review the properties of a rectangular prism- what makes it a prism?
How many different boxes can you make from the same number of Base 10 longs?
*Work with a partner. Talk about ways of making a box using Base 10 longs only.
* Now build all the different boxes you can from 8 longs. You may put the longs in 1 layer or in more than 1 layer.
• As you work, make a chart to record the length, width, and height of each box. Also record how many cubic units make up each box.
• How will you know when you have all the possible boxes? How can you prove it?
* Look for patterns in your chart.

Extension:
1. Challenge children to repeat the activity using 12 longs.
2. Ask children to use longs to build several different boxes, each with a volume of 200 cubic units.
Centers - * FasttMath on laptops
* open exploration Virtual Manipulatives - peg puzzle, towers of hanoi, etc

Assessments:
* teacher observations, various prisms, progress sheets, student-centered discussions, Base 10 longs
Materials:
* communicators, story, base 10 blocks, laptops

Tech Infusion:
Promethean board - flipchart, laptops

Accomodations/Modifications:
* teacher designed groups
* differentiated assignments/activities (centers to reach all levels)
* extended time-classwork/assessments(when needed)
* restructured homework assignments for both above level and below level students
* use of manipulatives/graphic organizers
* extension activities/alternative assignments
* organizational strategies - notebooks/book boxes/folder systems
* cloze-notes/study sheets/practice sheets for reinforcement
* modified assessments - M/C, SCR, ECR, O-E
* encouraging independence/student initiative
* includes a rich variety of resources, media ideas, methods and tasks
* personalized monitoring tools (checklists, goal sheets, thumbs up/down level understanding monitors)