What is the Liquid Capacity?
Lesson #7
Name: Kirsi Baird
Subject Area: Mathematics
Topic: Measuring Liquid Capacity
Grade: Third
Unit: Metric Measurement
Time: 60 minutes
PREPARATION:
Purpose/Rationale:
 This is the second in a series of two lessons designed to help students understand the tools,
techniques, and units for measuring liquid capacity.
 This lesson will give student hands-on experience using a variety of measuring tools to measure
liquid capacity with metric units.
 The explorations involve using common containers that may be familiar to students in order to
help them build benchmarks for estimating liquid capacity in liters and milliliters.
Curriculum Framing Questions:
 How can mathematics help me understand the world around me?
 What types of problems can be solved with measurement?
 Why are there different units of measurement and a variety of tools for measurement?
 How can I know which units of measure and which tools to choose?
 How can I measure accurately?
 How can benchmarks help me make better estimates?
State Standards:
 MA.03.ME.01 Select the most appropriate tool and metric unit to measure length, time, weight,
and volume.
 MA.03.ME.09 Determine measurements of volume to the nearest milliliter or liter of measuring
cups, beakers, or graduated cylinders.
 MA.03.ME.10 Estimate volume of objects in milliliters and liters.
 SC.03.SI.03 Collect data from an investigation.
 EL.03.RE.19 Read written directions, signs, captions, warning labels, and informational books.
Prior Knowledge/Background Information:
 Student will have prior experience discussing and using metric units of measurement.
 Students will have experience working in pairs and groups.
 Student will have some experience recording the results of investigations.
 The previous lesson will model how to record observations by drawing and labeling.
 The previous lesson will offer students an introduction to using graduated cylinders and
measuring cups to measure water with both liters and milliliters.
Learning Objectives:
 Students will demonstrate the ability to read and follow multi-step directions in order to
complete the measurement activities.
 Students will estimate the amount of water they think will be needed to fill a variety of
containers using metric units of liquid capacity.
 Students will utilize graduated cylinders and measuring cups to accurately measure liquid
capacity in metric units.
 Students will make comparisons between their estimates and their actual measurements.
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
Lesson #7
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Students will choose the appropriate tool for measuring various quantities of water.
Students will illustrate their understanding of measuring liquids with liters and milliliters by
recording their data and diagramming their experimental procedures.
Key Concepts:
 Liters and milliliters are the metric units used to measure liquid capacity.
 There are 1000 milliliters in 1 liter.
 Measuring cups and graduated cylinders are used to measure liquid volume/capacity.
Key Questions:
 Why is it important to report my measurements with the appropriate units stated clearly?
 What are the units of capacity measurement in the metric system?
 How many milliliters make 1 liter?
 What benchmarks can we use to help us make good estimates of liquid capacity?
 What are the tools for measuring liquid capacity?
Materials/Resources Needed:
 Fishbowl chart from previous day’s lesson
 Water bottle benchmarks: liter bottle and gallon jug
 Large selection of common household containers (milk, soda, shampoo, water, juice, etc.)
 Towels, towels, towels!
 Variety of graduated cylinders
 Variety of measuring cups
 Funnels
Technology:
 Activity sheets #1 and #2
 Document Camera
PROCEDURE:
Anticipatory Set: (carpet)
 Review the charts created the previous day in lesson #6.
o What are the metric units we use to measure liquid capacity?
o How many milliliters are in 1 liter?
o What customary unit is 1 liter closest to?
o What tools did we use to measure water yesterday?
o Make sure to review how we used the tools to measure how many metric units of water
filled the fish bowl.
o Remind them how we documented the amount of water we were pouring into the fish
bowl.
 Introduce a few of the containers in the buckets to get them interested.
o You will be working in pairs to figure out how much water can fit in these different
containers.
(10 min)
Body of Lesson: (return to desks)
 Show “Activity Sheet #1” on the overhead and review the instructions.
o Read the directions
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
Lesson #7
o Clear expectations
o Ask for questions
 You will be working in partners in your table groups today.
o It is important that you make sure that you both get to participate.
o Both team members should get to make an estimate.
o Both team members should get to use the tools to pour the water.
o Taking turns is a good way to do this fairly.
o You will also have to share tools with another group at your table. I will be checking in
on you while you work. If someone is playing around, or is not sharing the materials, I
will have to ask that person to sit out of the activity for awhile.
(20 min)
 Everyone must completely clear off their desks. All books, papers, pencils, etc. should go inside
your desk. When I see that a group is ready, I will call you to come up and pick your containers.
o Move students so that there are four at each table group so that supplies can be shared
easily.
o Call up groups to choose their containers and give them an activity sheet.
 Circle the room after everyone gets their materials and check to see that everyone is getting
started. (Check in with your challenges first!)
o Support measuring techniques where needed.
o Encourage students to problem solve.
o Try to prompt inquiry through questions.
 As students finish up with their first activity, invite them to try experimenting with a second
container.
o They can continue with Activity Sheet #1 or can try Activity Sheet #2.
 Some support and further modeling may be need for #2, but try to encourage
them to read the directions and problem solve with the materials on their own.
(45 min)
 When it seems students have all had a chance to use the tools and complete at least one
activity, give the signal for clean-up and call them to the carpet.
o Ask them to share some of their results and any problem solving they had to do during
the activity.
o Were there any surprises for them?
o Were there any problems?
(60 min)
Extensions/Differentiations:
 Teacher will make sure to check in with groups who may have trouble reading directions or
using tools first.
 Partner and table groups will be designed to be supportive working groups.
 Student have had an introduction to the methods used in activity #1 the previous day to help
them understand how to use the tools and record their measurements.
 A second activity is available for any students who finish quickly and would like an extra
challenge.
 Students are invited to explore a second or third container using either Activity #1 or Activity #2
(challenge activity).
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
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Lesson #7
ASSESSMENT:
Activity sheets will be collected by teacher to see how measurements were being made and
recorded and how students were solving problems. Sheets will be scored based on completing
the items called for in the directions. Communicating estimates, units used, and how the
container was filled will be important elements considered.
Teacher will use KB-Measurement Activities Scoring Rubric.docx to asses how students are
working in groups, using the tools, understanding the units, and interacting with the materials.
Teacher will check in with all students to make sure proper measurement techniques are being
used and messes are being avoided where possible.
REFLECTION:
As can be expected, this lesson was pretty messy, but the students had a lot of fun interacting
with the measurement tools and conducting their explorations. It was difficult to check in with
everyone enough, as there are a great many problems that come up when 24 students are
experimenting with pouring water! Even though I had collected a great many measuring cups and
graduated cylinders, it still was not enough. Some students in this class just have a very difficult time
sharing materials, and it is especially hard when there is so much excitement. I should have doubled the
number of measuring devises that I had for students to use. It also would have been beneficial to have
more pitchers of water available so that there was not so much confusion near the sink. We had two
extra pitchers of water, but it would have been best for each group to have their own water source, or
at least each table.
Some students got so excited about pouring water, that they lost sight of the task on their data
collection sheets. They neglected to record their information properly and had to be redirected several
times to do so. Most were able to finally complete their task for at least one container, and some
students went on to explore other containers as well.
The issue with reading and following directions is still a hard one with this particular class. Even
the high achieving students who are good readers, seem to rely heavily on the teacher for all instruction,
and have still not figured out how that help is available right on the handout at their desk! Even after
careful review of the handout as a group, students needed redirection to follow instructions.
My cooperative teacher has consistently told me to spend more time reviewing instructions and
expectations for filling in the data collection sheet, then told me that I spent too much time on it for this
lesson. I’m struggling to figure out the balance, because it doesn’t seem to matter which path I choose, I
still have to direct students who come to me with questions to read the directions aloud. Once they do
this, they understand, so I know that they are capable, they just seem resistant to being independent!
This was the last lesson in our unit before the post-test. In a perfect world, I would have liked to
have one more day to explore measuring with water. I feel like both activities would have been valuable
learning experiences for the students. I also think that having a second day of hands-on exploration
would have made the objectives of the activities clearer for them. Some of them would then have had a
chance to work forward and backward through the problem of figuring out how much water could be
held by a given container. I think it would have been helpful for them to have more time reading
measurements of liquid capacity. I also think that for future units on measurement, it would be good to
add some more real life connections to a lesson like this. Measuring liquid for a more authentic purpose
would help create deeper understanding.
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
Lesson #7
ACTIVITY SHEET #1: MEASURING LIQUID CAPACITY WITH THE
METRIC SYSTEM
1. Choose a container from one of the orange buckets.
2. Estimate in metric units how much water you think you will need to fill your container.
3. Draw a picture of your container below. Make sure it is large enough to label clearly.
4. Choose a measuring tool.
5. Label your drawing as you fill your container with water to show how much you are
putting in as you go along . You can look at our fish bowl chart from yesterday if you
need help!
6. Compare your final results to your estimate. How close were you?
Student #1 Name:
Student #2 Name:
Your Estimates
How much total water was
measured into the container?
How close were your
estimates?
Your drawing with measurement labels should go in space below:
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
Lesson #7
ACTIVITY SHEET #2: MEASURING LIQUID CAPACITY WITH THE
METRIC SYSTEM
1. Choose a container from the orange bucket.
2. Estimate in metric units how much water you think the container will hold.
3. Fill the container with water from the sink.
4. As a team, use the measurement tools at your table to figure out exactly how much
water is in your container.
5. Draw pictures or write a description of how you solve this problem. Be sure to clearly
show how you measured the water, what tools you used, and what units you used!
6. Compare you final results to your estimate. How close were you?
Student #1 Name:
Student #2 Name:
Your Estimates
How much total water does
your container hold?
How close were your
estimates?
Your drawing and/or explanation of how you solved the problem should go here:
Measurement Unit
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009
What is the Liquid Capacity?
Measurement Unit
Lesson #7
Kirsi Baird
Winter 2009