Formative Assessments

Measuring Volume # Students are asked to determine the volume of a rectangular prism by using both a formula and counting cubic units.
Volume in Cubic Units # Students are asked to determine the volume of a rectangular prism in cubic units.
Volume With Improvised Units # Students determine how many improvised units of volume will fill a large box.
Find the Volume # Students are asked to count unit cubes to determine the volume of a right rectangular prism.

Lesson Plans

Volume, Mass, and Density Boxes # This activity was designed for blind learners, but all types of learners can utilize it to investigate volume, mass, and density. The learner will create several boxes with different materials in each. They will then compare the sizes and masses and do the math to figure the densities. Educators could also create a data collection chart for this activity.
Volume: It's All About the Count # In this lesson, students will learn the concept of volume as an attribute of solid figures, using unit cubes in various arrangements with a focus on rectangular prisms.
Manipulating Cubic Units # Students will recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement. They will measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic centimeters and cubic inches.
Pump Up the Volume # In this 5E lesson, the students will explore the concept of volume. The students will build rectangular prisms, identify the dimensions of the prism and discover the volume of the prism.
Building Rectangular Prisms Part 1 # This is the first part of a two-part volume lesson. In this lesson, students will build foundational concepts for volume and count cubes to find volume. In the second part lesson Building Rectangular Prisms Part 2 (attached), students will discover the volume formulas length x width x height and base x height as they build rectangular prisms. They will use the formulas to find volume in real world situations.

Original Student Tutorial

Building Blocks of Volume # Build on your previous knowledge of area and learn how to calculate volume in cubic units with this interactive tutorial.

Problem-Solving Tasks

Computing Volume Progression 1 # Students are asked to determine the number of unit cubes needed to construct cubes with given dimensions.
Surface Area and Volume # In this activity, students adjust the dimensions of either a rectangular or triangular prism and the surface area and volume are calculated for those dimensions. Students can also switch into compute mode where they are given a prism with certain dimensions and they must compute the surface area and volume. The application keeps score so students can track their progress. This application allows students to explore the surface area and volume of rectangular and triangular prisms and how changing dimensions affect these measurements. This activity also includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Teaching Idea

Volume of Rectangular Prisms # This lesson is designed to introduce students to the concept of volume and how to find the volume of rectangular prisms. This lesson provides links to discussions and activities related to volume as well as suggested ways to integrate them into the lesson. Finally, the lesson provides links to follow-up lessons designed for use in succession with the current one.

Tutorials

Volume: Four Examples of Counting Unit Cubes # This Khan Academy tutorial video illustrates measuring volume by counting unit cubes. Models in this video include composite figure of rectangular prisms although only counting is used to find volume, not an equation.
Volume: How to Measure It # This Khan Academy tutorial video describes measurement in one, two, and three dimensions.

Unit/Lesson Sequence

Three Dimensional Shapes # In this interactive, self-guided unit on 3-dimensional shape, students (and teachers) explore 3-dimensional shapes, determine surface area and volume, derive Euler's formula, and investigate Platonic solids. Interactive quizzes and animations are included throughout, including a 15 question quiz for student completion.