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Tips for Teaching Volume

Volume can be a difficult concept for students. Fifth-grade students are expected to understand the concept of volume, calculate volume by counting cubes and by using a formula, and understand that volume is additive. Here are my tried and true tips for teaching volume. 

1. Review Area Concepts

Before tackling volume it is important to make sure that students understand the concept of area. Students that are clear on what area is and how to calculate it will have a much easier time understanding volume. I review the concept of area, the area formula (A = l x w), and why we use square units when talking about area. 

2. Define Volume

Many students come to math class without knowing the mathematical definition of volume. So, I begin by explaining volume. Volume can be defined as the amount of space a three-dimensional object takes up or volume is the measure of how much space a solid object takes up. My students record the definition of volume in their math notebooks. We add in additional information as we continue through the unit. I have also used a digital version of the notebook. You can check that out here

Spend time looking at two dimensional and three dimensional objects. This will help students to see the difference between them. 

3. Hands-On Practice with Non-Standard Units

Hands-on activities help students make sense of mathematical ideas. I begin my volume unit by investigating rectangular prisms. I collect a variety of small boxes for students to explore. Empty tea boxes, paper clip boxes, and granola bar boxes work perfectly. I place 2 or 3 different boxes, a set of pattern blocks, a container of marbles, and some dollar spot erasers at one of my math stations. Students investigate how many of each unit it takes to fill the boxes. 

We discuss the observations that were made while filling the containers. Students will discover that the pattern block shapes, marbles, and erasers did not fill the boxes as they expected and that gaps and overlaps were noticed.

Next, students are asked to fill the same boxes with cubes. I use centimeter cubes and Unifix cubes for this activity. Unifix cubes are great for boxes that are bigger in size. Once students have filled the boxes with cubes we discuss their observations. This leads to a discussion on cubic units. Want to try it out? Click here.

4. Model  

My classroom floor is made up of square tiles. I explain that we can find the area of the classroom floor by counting the square foot tiles. Then, I explain that we could find the volume of the classroom by using cubic feet. I use rulers to help students understand what a cubic foot looks like. I place one ruler along the length of a tile, one along the width of a tile, and use a third ruler to show the height. Then I add construction paper to make a cubic foot. This really helps my students to see what it means to measure with a cubic unit. 

Next, model how to find the volume of a rectangular prism by filling and counting cubes. Nets are perfect for this. Students fill the nets with cubes and count the total to find the volume. 

This leads to a discussion of using multiplication to calculate the volume of objects. From this discussion, the formulas for volume can be introduced. I teach my students two different formulas:    

  • V = length x width x height or V = l x w x h
  • V = area of the base x the height or V = B x h (B = l x w)

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

The best way for students to master the concept of volume is to practice. Begin by practicing with cubes and then have students shift to using formulas to calculate volume. This can be done digitally or by using paper-based practice sheets. You can check out my favorite resources to practice volume here.  

 
Would you like to try a digital resource to practice volume? Click here.  
 

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Teachers Love

These are great and my student loves them! These Boom Cards are perfect for my students to provide extra assignments to continue reinforcing the skills they are working on in their general ed class (virtually). I wish I had the skills to create them myself!
Stephanie R.

Volume Boom Cards
Stress-Free Teaching
2020-09-22T20:19:10-04:00
These are great and my student loves them! These Boom Cards are perfect for my students to provide extra assignments to continue reinforcing the skills they are working on in their general ed class (virtually). I wish I had the skills to create them myself! Stephanie R. Volume Boom Cards

Teachers Love

I love the way the graphic organizers are scaffolded so that students work on each step of a RACES answer. I'm a tutor who works with students with language LDs and this approach has been fantastic for them. Having the editable graphic organizers makes it easy for me to keep creating new and different pages for students who need to extra practice on a particular part of the RACES answer. Thank you so much!
Kate M.

Stress-Free Teaching
2020-09-22T20:24:32-04:00
I love the way the graphic organizers are scaffolded so that students work on each step of a RACES answer. I'm a tutor who works with students with language LDs and this approach has been fantastic for them. Having the editable graphic organizers makes it easy for me to keep creating new and different pages for students who need to extra practice on a particular part of the RACES answer. Thank you so much! Kate M. RACES Writing Strategy for Written Responses

Teachers Love

These are AMAZING!! Highly engaging for my students, constantly spiraling, and also gives me the information I need to see what we need to work on. Thank you so much!!
Kristi R.

Stress-Free Teaching
2020-09-22T20:25:15-04:00
These are AMAZING!! Highly engaging for my students, constantly spiraling, and also gives me the information I need to see what we need to work on. Thank you so much!! Kristi R. 5th Grade Math Spiral Review

Teachers Love

Amazing resource! Students loved working on this to show their parents during fall conferences. Their faces lit up as they went through the slides and read aloud their goals for the trimester and what they were proud of.
Jessica S.

Student Led Conference Digital Portfolio
Stress-Free Teaching
2020-09-24T19:42:58-04:00
Amazing resource! Students loved working on this to show their parents during fall conferences. Their faces lit up as they went through the slides and read aloud their goals for the trimester and what they were proud of. Jessica S. Student Led Conference Digital Portfolio
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Stress-Free Teaching