How can you find the volume of that?
Physical Properties of Matter-Volume
7 th Grade
Content Standard:
P.PM.07.24
Describe examples of physical and chemical properties of elements and compounds
(boiling point, density, color, conductivity, reactivity).
P.PM.02.14 Measure the volume of liquids using common measuring tools (graduated measuring cups, measuring spoons, graduated cylinders, and beakers).
P.PM.04.17 Measure volumes of liquids in milliliters and liters.
Rationale:
To begin thinking about volume as a physical characteristic of matter and as a precursor to a lesson on density in which students will need to know how to find the volume of objects using water displacement.
Pre-assessment:
I would start out by asking a series of questions about Volume. Such as what is volume?
How can you measure volume? What are some ways to measure volume?
Purpose:
To discover how the volume of an irregular shaped objects can be found using water displacement.
Objective:
By the end of the lesson students will be able to describe the physical property of volume.
By the end of this lesson students will know how and why to use the water displacement method.
Summative Assessment:
Students will fill out a lab on the volumes of different objects as an assessment of the term volume as a physical property of matter. They will do this by developing proficiency of the water displacement method as a pre-cursor to a lesson about density in which this method will be used.
Introduction:
Focus Question:
How can you find the volume of an irregular shaped object? What does volume tell you about an object or liquid and how did you prove your definition of volume during this lab?
How is volume different than mass?

We will begin by talking about what volume is, how it differs from mass, and how it relates to our physical properties of matter. From there I will get suggestions how to find the volume of multiple objects. Good! Have the students explain their experiences with volume.
I will have brought in a cooler and our class objective for finding volume will be to fill the cooler as full as possible by measuring the volume of the cooler and finding the volume of our picnic foods and discovering how many of each food could be put in the cooler. I will make a connection to the volume of our cooler and the volume of food packaging and how companies use this information. Good…I like the real world connection! Please tell me about a few of the examples you will use.
 So we found defined Volume as the measurement of how much space an object or liquid (or we can call it matter) takes up.
 Now we need to talk about displacement! Who thinks they have an idea of what displacement is?
 Displacement is the amount of water that is “pushed” out of the way by the object you are measuring. That is why we see the water level go up.
 So what is an irregularly shaped object? Is notepad irregular? How about this soup can? What about this “insert irregularly shaped object here”?
 So what is a definition of irregular that we could use?
 Why do we think that we use this method for irregularly shaped objects?
 We use the water displacement method for irregularly shaped objects because we are not able to find a accurate measurement by using a ruler!
Connection:
Students will need to know the definition of volume but we will review it if I feel the students are lacking understanding.
Activity description:
Students will find the volume of multiple irregularly shaped objects by measuring water displacement. Using their measurements they will come up with various ways to fill our cooler. Students are asked to convert units and to also think critically about what different food combinations could be put into the cooler.
Formative Assessment:
I will be walking around to lab tables and asking questions about how volume differs from mass so that I can see how they are doing with the concept of volume but also if I need to review mass before our next lesson.
 Can you explain to me how you found the volume of that________?
 Why does water displacement give you the volume of the ___________?
 So what are you actually measuring?
Accommodations:
Because some of my students have low reading levels I will be walking around helping students with their comprehension but they will also be put into groups so that they can scaffold off of each other. Most of the terms should already be familiar to the students so it should not be a problem since this lab is mostly supposed to be a review.

Logistics:
Time: The first 10-15 minutes will be spent reviewing volume taking ideas about volume of objects and introducing the concept of the cooler as well as our habits of mind (creative thinking, critical thinking, self-direction, curiosity, informed skepticism/open-mindedness). 5 minutes will be getting everyone set up at a lab table and into groups. 30 minutes will be devoted to the lab and the last 10 will be devoted to finishing questions and different ideas on how to fill the cooler and if there is time what habits of mind they used during this lesson.
Directions: Students will be told that they need to gently roll any objects being placed in the water gently down the side as to not get water all over the place. Good! Make sure that you check that your water level in the graduated cylinder is at 20 mL in between each different food. Take accurate measurements and don’t forget to convert!
Technology: Students will use their iPads to fill out the lab.
Closure: Students will share their findings about how much food can be put into our cooler in different combinations. We will review the concepts of volume and displacement and if there is time I will ask students about their ideas of what the term density is. If there is still time, we will review our habits of mind and agree or disagree with the ones we picked before doing the lab.
Duration:
Two class periods
Materials:
-Graduated cylinders
-Water
-Irregularly shaped foods
-Cooler
Teacher Preparation:
1.
Volume is how much space an object takes up, so when you place an object in water it pushes the water out of the way or “displaces” it.
2.
When this occurs you can find the volume of the object in the water by finding the difference in the starting measurement of water and the ending measurement.
3.
The units for Volume are m 3 but for this lab we will use cm 3 because 1 mL is equal to 1 cubic centimeter.
4.
Volume can be used later to discover density.

Water Displacement Lab Name:
Purpose:
To discover how the volume of an irregular shaped objects can be found using water displacement.
Activity description:
Students will find the volume of multiple irregularly shaped objects by measuring water displacement. Using their measurements they will find how many pieces of fruit they can fit in a cooler.
Focus Question:
How can you find the volume of an irregularly shaped object (one that cannot be measured using a ruler)? What does volume tell you about an object or liquid? How did you prove your definition of volume during this lab?
Materials:
 Grapes
 Granola bar
 Carrots
 Strawberry
 Potato
 Cooler
Classroom Procedure:
1.
Fill the graduated cylinder to the 20 mL mark (don’t forget mL is our unit of measurement for the volume of water we will have to change the unit for the object you are measuring in the water).
2.
Drop object on list into the cylinder with the 20 mL of water and
3.
record new volume of the water.
Record this data in the table.
4.
To find the volume of the sample subtract the original volume of the water from the volume of the water and the sample. For example if you put the aluminum into the water and the new volume was 25 mL and we started with 20 mL, the volume of the
20mL  aluminum is 5 mL or 5 cm 3 .
Sample
5 carrots
Strawberry
Water volume (mL) Volume of water and sample (mL)
Volume of sample
(cm 3 )
5 Grapes
Granola bar
Potato
Choice Object
HINT: 1 mL = 1 cm 3 :)

1.
Write the class averages for each food volume here:
Granola bar___________
Carrots_____________
Grapes_____________
Strawberry_______________
Potato_______________
2.
In your own words, what is volume?
3.
How many of each food could you fit in the cooler?
Granola bar____________
Carrots______________
Grapes_______________
Strawberries________________
Potatoes_______________
4.
What combinations of food could you make to fill the cooler and full as possible?
5.
What is the difference between mass and volume?
6.
What do you know about density?