Capacity Sort/Line Up
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: variety of containers
rice
Directions:
1. Select one container to use as the target container.
2. Sort the other containers into groups: holds more than, holds less than, or about the same as the target container.
3. Use the rice to fill the containers, one at a time, to check your predictions.
4. Then, order the containers from holds the most to holds the least.
What strategies did you use to make your predictions? What did you discover about the size of the containers compare to how much it holds?
Tangram Areas
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: Tangrams
Directions:
1. Compare the area of a variety of Tangram pieces.
2. Decide which pieces have a smaller area, larger area, or the same area.
3. You may also combine Tangram pieces to see if you can create a figure that has the same area as another figure.
Explain how you came to your conclusions. How did you approach this task and what were your thoughts as you worked through it?
Fixed Areas
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: 36 Color Tiles
grid paper
pencil
Directions:
1. Create as many rectangles as you can with an area of 36 tiles.
2. Make sure that all 36 tiles are used and that the rectangle is filled in.
3. Record each rectangle by sketching the outline and dimensions on the grid paper.
4. Determine and record the perimeter of each rectangle.
What do you notice about the different rectangles that you created? What did you discover about the perimeters of those figures?
Time Will Tell
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: dry erase marker
clock face (without hands)
Directions:
1. Work individually or with a partner to draw the hands on the blank clock face to create different times.
2. If you have a partner, take turns.
3. Make sure to create times that show a quarter past the hour, a quarter until the hour, half past the hour, and some times that are close to the next hour.
4. Write the digital time for each time created on the clock face.
What do you know about hours and minutes? What did you discover about time?
E-M-E Sequences
(Estimate-Measure-Estimate)
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: pairs of objects to estimate
MD tools (ruler, scale, etc.)
Directions:
1. Select a pair of objects that are close in measure, but not the same.
2. Estimate the measure of the first item and then measure to check for accuracy.
3. Knowing the measurement of the first item, now estimate the measurement of the second item.
4. You may check the actual measurement of the second item as well.
What strategies did you use to make your first and second estimate?
Figure This Out!
(MD-Intermediate)
You need: centimeter cubes
Directions:
1. Using the centimeter cubes, build a figure in the shape of a rectangular prism or a cube.
2. Discuss the dimensions of the figure (length, width, and height).
3. Find the volume of the figure.
4. Build a second figure and compare it to the first figure.
5. Try building an irregular figure and find the volume.
What did you discover about volume? What did you learn about the different dimensions? What strategy did you use to figure out the volume of the figure?
Could It Be?
(MD-Intermediate)
You Need: a ruler and/or a meter stick
Measuring cups or scale (extension)
Directions:
1. Select a number and a unit. Example: 12 ft
2. Ask questions about that unit such as:
ü Could a teacher be 12 feet tall?
ü Could a man jump 12 feet high?
ü What is about 12 feet long?
ü Could your living room be 12 feet long?
3. Use the ruler or meter stick to give the student an exact idea about what the specific measurement looks like.
Extension: Use weight or volume measurements.
Adapted from Teaching Student Centered Mathematics
Grades 3-5 By Van de Walle & Lovin