ALEX Learning Activity

  

Sugar Cubes Lab

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Samantha Wallace
System:Limestone County
School:Cedar Hill Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2826
Title:
Sugar Cubes Lab
Digital Tool/Resource:
Sugar Cubes Lab Slideshow
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This activity is a hands-on inquiry math lesson where students are asked to prove how many sugar cubes are in a box.  They will measure the volume of a rectangular prism by counting non-standard units and make a connection to multiplying the three edge lengths in the standard formula.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: 5
18. Identify volume as an attribute of solid figures, and measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised (non-standard) units.

a. Pack a solid figure without gaps or overlaps using n unit cubes to demonstrate volume as n cubic units.
Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Measure volume of rectangular solids by packing the figure and counting the number of same-sized unit cubes needed to completely fill the figure.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Volume
  • Cube
  • Cubic unit
  • Unit cube
  • Space
  • Three-dimensional
  • Attribute
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • strategies or the formula to find the area of a rectangle.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Count unit cubes to find volume.
  • Demonstrate volume by packing a solid figure with unit cubes.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • volume represents the amount of space enclosed in a three-dimensional figure and is measured by the number of same-size cubes that exactly fill the interior space of the object.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.5.18.1: Define volume including the formulas V = L × W x h, and V = B x h.
M.5.18.2: Define solid figures.
M.5.18.3: Define unit cube.
M.5.18.4: Recognize that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals).
M.5.18.5: Describe attributes of three-dimensional figures.
M.5.18.6: Describe attributes of two-dimensional figures.
M.5.18.7: Compare the unit size of volume/capacity in the metric system including milliliters and liters.
M.5.18.8: Define cubic inches, cubic centimeters, and cubic feet.
M.5.18.9: Compare the unit size of volume/capacity in the customary system including fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons.
M.5.18.10: Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).
M.5.18.11: Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l).
M.5.18.12: Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem.
M.5.18.13: Recall basic multiplication facts.
M.5.18.14: Fluently add.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Count unit cubes to find volume.
  • Demonstrate volume by packing a solid figure with unit cubes.
  • Solve word problems involving volume.
  • Use associative property of multiplication to find volume.
  • Relate operations of multiplication and addition to finding volume.
  • Apply formulas to find volume of right rectangular prisms.
  • Find volume of solid figures composed of two rectangular prisms.

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.5.18 Using vocalization, sign language, augmentative communication, or assistive technology, identify cubes, cylinders, and spheres as three-dimensional shapes.


Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: 5
19. Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition, and solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume.

a. Use the associative property of multiplication to find the volume of a right rectangular prism and relate it to packing the prism with unit cubes. Show that the volume can be determined by multiplying the three edge lengths or by multiplying the height by the area of the base.

b. Apply the formulas V = l x w x h and V = B x h for rectangular prisms to find volumes of right rectangular prisms with whole-number edge lengths in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

c. Find volumes of solid figures composed of two non-overlapping right rectangular prisms by adding the volumes of the two parts, applying this technique to solve real-world problems.
Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
Given right rectangular prisms with whole number edge lengths,
  • Use associative property of multiplication to find volume and relate it to packing a solid with unit cubes.
  • Apply formula V = l × w × h, where V represents volume and l, w, and h represent the three dimensions of the prism (length, width, height) and relate the formula to a unit cube filled model.
  • Apply formula V = B × h, where V represents volume, B is the base-area, and h represents the height (number of layers of the base-area) and relate the formula to a unit cube filled model.

  • Given a solid figure composed of two or more right rectangular prisms in real-world or mathematical contexts, find the total volume by decomposing the figure into non-overlapping rectangular prisms and find the sum of the volumes.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Volume
  • Unit cube
  • Rectangular prism
  • Base
  • Base-area
  • Dimensions
  • Face
  • Length
  • Width
  • Height
  • Layers
  • Edge
  • Equivalent
  • Conservation of volume
  • Attribute
  • Composition
  • Decomposition
  • Formula
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Measurable attributes of area and how it relates to finding the volume of objects.
  • Units of measurement for volume, specifically unit cubes.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Solve word problems involving volume.
  • Use associative property of multiplication to find volume.
  • Relate operations of multiplication and addition to finding volume.
  • Apply formulas to find volume of right rectangular prisms.
  • Find volume of solid figures composed of two rectangular prisms.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Volume is a derived attribute based on a length unit and can be computed as the product of three length measurements or as the product of one base area and one length measurement.
  • Volume is an extension of area and can be found as the area of the base being repeated for a given number of layers.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.5.19.1: Define volume.
M.5.19.2: Recognize angle measure as additive.
M.5.19.3: Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real-world and mathematical problems.
M.5.19.4: Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.
M.5.19.5: Recognize the formula for volume.
M.5.19.6: Recall the attributes of three-dimensional solids.
M.5.19.7: Recall basic multiplication facts.
M.5.19.8: Fluently add.
M.5.19.9: Compare the unit size of volume/capacity in the metric system including milliliters and liters.
M.5.19.10: Measure and estimate liquid volumes.
M.5.19.11: Recall basic multiplication facts.
M.5.19.12: Compare the unit size of volume/capacity in the metric system including milliliters and liters.
M.5.19.13: Recognize the formula for volume.
M.5.19.14: Recall basic multiplication facts.
M.5.19.15: Describe attributes of three-dimensional figures.
M.5.19.16: Describe attributes of two-dimensional figures.
M.5.19.17: Identify solid figures.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Count unit cubes to find volume.
  • Demonstrate volume by packing a solid figure with unit cubes.
  • Convert measurement units.
  • Solve mulit-step word problems involving measurement conversions.

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.5.19 Determine the volume of a rectangular prism by counting units of measurement (e.g., unit cubes).


Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to identify volume as an attribute of solid figures and measure volume by counting unit cubes. 

Students will be able to use the associative property of multiplication to find the volume of a right rectangular prism and relate it to packing the prism with unit cubes. Students will be able to show that volume can be determined by multiplying the three edge lengths of a rectangular prism.

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

  • Begin the lesson by putting students into groups of 2-5.  This is an inquiry-based lesson so mixed-ability groups will be helpful.
  • Display the slideshow. Show students the slide with the picture of the box of sugar cubes.  (Students might be unfamiliar with sugar cubes and will need some extra information about how they are used.)  Explain that the box claims there are exactly 198 sugar cubes in the box, but that seems to be an odd number.  Why 198 and not an even 200?  How can we be sure there are exactly 198 cubes in the box?
  • Go to the next slide and explain that the students' task for today is to figure out a way to use math to prove that the box has exactly 198 cubes.  Give students a few moments to turn-&-talk before sharing out ideas.  Students might suggest counting each cube, but that would take a long time and would be difficult to get the count exactly right.  It would work, but it would be an inefficient mathematical solution.
  • When students are ready for the hint, reveal the picture showing how the cubes are arranged at the top of the box.  Describe the layout as an array and have a student share a multiplication equation to represent the array (3x6).
  • Give each group a box of cubes and set a timer.  Students should find a way to prove how many cubes are in the box (without counting each one).  If students are struggling, ask them to think about the top layer they can see -- how many layers of 18 are in the box?
  • Have students share their solutions.  After a class discussion, show students the last slide to help make the connection between counting unit cubes and multiplying the three edge lengths to find the volume. 
  • Note: The solution slide has been hidden in the presentation view to avoid accidentally revealing the answer; to display it, right-click the thumbnail and uncheck the option "skip slide."
  • Give each student an exit ticket to wrap up the lesson.
Assessment Strategies:

Observe to see if students are able to solve the real-world volume problem by counting unit cubes. 

Evaluate the exit tickets to see if students can explain how to prove the number of cubes by using the three dimensions of the box as measured in sugar cubes.


Advanced Preparation:

Sort students into mixed-ability groups with 2-5 students per group.

Preview the slideshow and prepare to display it for the class.

Each group will need a box of sugar cubes.  (Butcher paper on the desks/tables will make it easier to clean up any sugar crumbs.)

Make enough copies of the exit ticket to give one to each student. (There are two on each page.)

Variation Tips (optional):

Students can use a digital or printed image of the sugar cube box rather than being provided with the actual item.

 

Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This activity can be used as a stand-alone activity or together with the following activities as a complete lesson:

Volume Warm-Up

Locker Design Challenge

(This activity was adapted from Graham Fletcher's 3-Act Task.)

  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: cubes, dimensions, inquiry, lab, measurement, solid figures, unit, volume