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Measure Up! Volume & Capacity

Ashley Swain

Tier 1
For Schools

Warm Up

Measure It! Warm Up

Objective: To activate prior knowledge about measurement and introduce the concept of things that hold amounts.

Instructions:

  1. Think-Pair-Share (2 minutes): Ask students: "What are some things you use every day that hold liquids or other items? Think about your kitchen, bathroom, or even your backpack!" Allow students a moment to think silently, then turn to a partner to share their ideas.
  2. Whole Group Share (3 minutes): Bring the class back together. Call on a few pairs to share what they discussed. (e.g., a water bottle, a cereal box, a swimming pool, a bucket).
  3. Connect to Lesson: Explain that today, we're going to learn about how we measure how much these things can hold! This is called volume and capacity.
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lenny

Lesson Plan

Measure Up! Volume & Capacity

Students will be able to define and differentiate between volume and capacity, identify appropriate metric units (milliliters, liters, cubic centimeters), and accurately measure and compare the volume and capacity of various containers.

Understanding volume and capacity is crucial for everyday tasks, from cooking and baking to understanding product packaging and even scientific experiments. This lesson equips students with practical measurement skills.

Audience

Elementary School Students

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive whole-group instruction, hands-on activity, and engaging game.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Various containers (e.g., small bottle, large jug, cup, box), Water or sand (for demonstration), Measuring cups/beakers (labeled with mL and L), Rulers/Centimeter Cubes, Measure It! Warm Up, Capacity Challenge Activity, and Volume BINGO Game

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review the Measure Up! Volume & Capacity Lesson Plan and all linked materials: Measure It! Warm Up, Capacity Challenge Activity, and Volume BINGO Game.
  • Gather various containers of different shapes and sizes (e.g., small bottle, large jug, cup, box).
  • Prepare water or sand for demonstrations.
  • Ensure measuring cups/beakers (labeled with mL and L) and rulers/centimeter cubes are available.
  • Print or prepare for display the Capacity Challenge Activity worksheets for small groups.
  • Print or prepare for display the Volume BINGO Game cards and call-out items.

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Measure It! Warm Up to engage students and activate prior knowledge about containers and what they hold.
  • Briefly discuss student responses and introduce the terms 'volume' and 'capacity'.

Step 2

Direct Instruction: Volume & Capacity (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Slide Presentation: Use a slide deck (to be created) to define volume and capacity, explaining that capacity is how much a container can hold (usually liquids, measured in L/mL) and volume is the space an object occupies (can be solids or liquids, often measured in cm³ or mL).
  • Demonstration: Show examples using various containers and water/sand. Demonstrate how to read measuring cups for capacity (mL, L) and how to calculate the volume of a rectangular prism using rulers/centimeter cubes (length x width x height).
  • Key Vocabulary: Introduce and display key terms: volume, capacity, liter (L), milliliter (mL), cubic centimeter (cm³). Emphasize that 1 mL is equal to 1 cm³.
  • Check for Understanding: Ask targeted questions and have students show thumbs up/down for agreement or confusion. Allow students to briefly explain in their own words what volume and capacity mean.

Step 3

Group Activity: Capacity Challenge (15 minutes)

15 minutes

  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students).
  • Distribute the Capacity Challenge Activity worksheet and a selection of the prepared containers, along with measuring tools.
  • Instruct groups to estimate and then measure the capacity of different containers using water/sand and measuring cups (mL and L). They will record their findings on the worksheet.
  • Circulate to provide support, clarify instructions, and encourage group discussion. For students with language needs, provide visual cues and pre-teach key terms. For students with ADHD, ensure clear steps and frequent check-ins.

Step 4

Game: Volume BINGO (8 minutes)

8 minutes

  • Transition to a whole-class game using the Volume BINGO Game cards.
  • Call out scenarios or show pictures of objects, and students mark the corresponding metric unit or concept on their BINGO cards (e.g., "How much milk is in a carton?" -> Liter, "Space inside a box?" -> Volume, cubic centimeter).
  • This serves as a quick, fun review of concepts and vocabulary.
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Slide Deck

Measure Up! Volume & Capacity

Understanding how much things hold and how much space they take up!

Welcome students and introduce the topic. This slide sets the stage for what they will learn today. Ask students what they think 'measure up' means in this context.

What is Volume?

The amount of space an object takes up.

  • Think about a box. How much space does the box itself fill?
  • Can be a solid, liquid, or gas.
  • Units: We often use **cubic centimeters (cm³) ** for solids and milliliters (mL) or liters (L) for liquids.

Define volume. Use simple language and examples. Ask students to point to objects in the classroom that have volume.

What is Capacity?

How much a container can hold.

  • Think about a water bottle. How much water can it hold?
  • Always refers to containers and their ability to hold liquids or sometimes solids.
  • Units: We use milliliters (mL) and liters (L) for liquids.

Define capacity. Emphasize that it's about what a container can hold. Give examples of containers and ask what they hold.

Capacity Units: Liters & Milliliters

Liters (L)

  • Used for larger amounts of liquid.
  • Think about a large soda bottle or a milk carton.

Milliliters (mL)

  • Used for smaller amounts of liquid.
  • Think about a few drops of medicine or a small spoon of water.
  • 1 Liter (L) = 1000 Milliliters (mL)

Introduce the common metric units for capacity. Show a visual of a liter bottle and eyedropper for milliliter comparison. Connect to real-world examples.

Volume Units: Cubic Centimeters

Cubic Centimeters (cm³)

  • Used to measure the volume of solid objects or the space inside a container.
  • Imagine small cubes fitting inside a box.
  • Important Connection:
    • 1 milliliter (mL) = 1 cubic centimeter (cm³)
    • This helps us switch between liquid and solid measurements!

Introduce cubic centimeters for volume, especially for solids. Explain the connection between mL and cm³.

Quick Check!

Question 1: Which unit would you use to measure the amount of water in a swimming pool?

A) Milliliters (mL)
B) Liters (L)

Question 2: Which unit describes the space a LEGO block takes up?

A) Cubic centimeters (cm³)
B) Liters (L)

Provide a quick check for understanding. Have students raise hands for A or B, or use clickers if available.

Today's Challenge!

Now that we know about Volume and Capacity, it's time to put our knowledge to the test!

We will work in groups to measure and compare different containers.

Get ready for the Capacity Challenge Activity!

Review the day's learning and transition to the activity. Encourage questions.

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Activity

Capacity Challenge Activity

Objective: To estimate and accurately measure the capacity of different containers using metric units.

Materials:

  • Variety of containers (e.g., small cup, water bottle, small jug, bowl)
  • Measuring cups/beakers (labeled with mL and L)
  • Water or sand
  • This worksheet

Instructions:

  1. Work with your group to complete the table below.
  2. For each container, first estimate how much liquid you think it can hold (its capacity) in milliliters (mL) or liters (L). Write your estimate in the table.
  3. Next, carefully measure the actual capacity of the container using the water/sand and measuring tools. Pour the liquid from the container into a measuring cup or beaker to find the exact amount.
  4. Record your measurement in the table.
  5. Answer the reflection questions.

Our Capacity Data

Container NameEstimated Capacity (mL or L)Measured Capacity (mL or L)Difference (Absolute Value)
Small Cup








Water Bottle








Small Jug








Bowl








Add your own!








Reflection Questions

  1. Which container had the largest capacity? What was its capacity?






  2. Which container had the smallest capacity? What was its capacity?






  3. Was it easy or hard to estimate the capacity? Why do you think so?











  4. What is one new thing you learned about measuring capacity today?











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lenny

Game

Volume BINGO Game!

Objective: To reinforce understanding of volume, capacity, and their metric units in a fun, interactive way.

Materials:

  • BINGO cards for each student (Teacher needs to create or draw simple 3x3 or 4x4 grids for students to fill in based on a list of terms provided by the teacher).
  • Markers or small tokens for covering squares.
  • Call-out list (provided below).

Instructions:

  1. Prepare BINGO Cards (5 minutes prep for students): Hand out blank BINGO grids (you can quickly draw these on the board and have students copy them into their notebooks or on a separate sheet of paper). Provide a list of 9-16 terms/concepts related to volume and capacity (see below). Students will choose different terms and write them in any order on their BINGO card squares.

    • Terms to write on cards (choose 9-16):
      • Volume
      • Capacity
      • Liter (L)
      • Milliliter (mL)
      • Cubic Centimeter (cm³)
      • Space an object takes up
      • How much a container holds
      • Large amount of liquid
      • Small amount of liquid
      • Measure of a solid
      • Measure of a liquid
      • Milk carton unit
      • Medicine dropper unit
      • Box space unit
      • Swimming pool unit
      • Water bottle unit

  2. How to Play (5-8 minutes playtime): The teacher will call out a description or question from the "Call-Out List" below. Students will mark the corresponding term on their BINGO card if they have it.

  3. The first student to get three or four in a row (depending on your grid size) horizontally, vertically, or diagonally shouts "BINGO!"

  4. Verify the student's answers. If correct, they win!

Call-Out List (Teacher calls these out, students mark the answer):

  • "How much water does a bathtub hold?" (Answer: Liter (L))
  • "The amount of medicine in a small spoon." (Answer: Milliliter (mL))
  • "The space a brick takes up." (Answer: Volume or Cubic Centimeter (cm³))
  • "How much juice a pitcher can hold." (Answer: Capacity)
  • "The air inside a balloon." (Answer: Volume)
  • "What a soda bottle is measured in." (Answer: Liter (L))
  • "The space inside a box." (Answer: Capacity or Volume)
  • "The amount of liquid in an eyedropper." (Answer: Milliliter (mL))
  • "Another way to say 1 mL." (Answer: Cubic Centimeter (cm³))
  • "Describes how much a container is able to hold." (Answer: Capacity)
  • "A large unit for liquids." (Answer: Liter (L))
  • "A small unit for liquids." (Answer: Milliliter (mL))
  • "The amount of space a book occupies." (Answer: Volume or Cubic Centimeter (cm³))
  • "What you measure with a measuring cup." (Answer: Capacity)
  • "If you fill a 1-liter bottle, how many mL is that?" (Answer: 1000 mL - students would mark Liter (L) or Milliliter (mL) if they have it)
  • "The property of a swimming pool." (Answer: Capacity)
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lenny