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Week 4: Volume & Capacity (What types of activities can we construct…
Week 4: Volume & Capacity
Discuss and define the similarities and differences between volume and capacity.
Both measure the size of a three-dimensional region (object), can use the same formula to measure but using cubic metres for volume and litres for capacity
Capacity – amount a container can hold – amount you can fit inside an object e.g. how many litres the fridge can hold inside
Volume – the space an object occupies using cubic units to measure e.g. a fridge, how much space the entre fridge takes up, measure from the outside (L x W x H)
What types of activities can we construct for classroom to help students develop a sense of volume and capacity?
Comparing capacity activities -
Comparing two cans, one slight concaved and the other not
Give them lots of different containers, comparing two things, then three things, constantly weaving through the language to articulate understandings.
Pouring sand/water from one container to the next – which holds more? Sand as non-std unit. Needs to happen over many occasions.
Conservation (Piaget) – important milestone for kids
Hands-on activities
Comparing volume activities
Start with using similar based shapes before moving on to more varying shapes
Using non-std units – marbles, blocks etc. Take into account the gaps around objects, so therefore not very accurate
Estimation encouraged
Using std units – link between litres and grams.
Kids need to make choices of what materials to use when working out problems e.g. comparing volume of a cube vs a cylinder out of play dough
Extending: More containers for more able students to compare and order. Enabling: two objects to compare that are more obviously different
Using prior knowledge to estimate
If you know your height then you can compare with other objects to gain idea of how tall they are
Comparing to something a student already knows e.g. understanding what 1L is and then using that to estimate how much objects can hold
Need experience to be able to estimate – importance of starting with concrete items
Classroom examples
Giving kids various containers – choose 6, compare and order them, test with water, working from largest to smallest
Giving kids grid papers with 15m2 box, with differing corners – cut and fold corners to create container – then measure capacity using 1cm cubes – convert into formula
Need to be talking about are at the same time as teaching volume and capacity. Relies on the idea of LxWxH – three directions. Need understanding of area first.