Hands-On Learning

Last week we began our math unit on geometry.  In the coming weeks, the students will work with two- and three-dimensional figures.  They will build on their understanding of area and volume.

To begin the unit, the students explored the concept of volume and learned that it is measured by cubic units.  I began by building rectangular prisms using centimeter cubes. The students were able to count the cubes to determine the volume of the figure.  They also understood the relationship between the area of the base layer and the volume of the figure. The number of layers, or height of the figure, did not change the base of the rectangular prism, just the volume.

The students then expanded their understanding by building their own rectangular prisms.  
Pairs of students were given a set of task cards that asked them to build different prisms based on provided characteristics. Both partners built a rectangular prism based on the given attributes, but the students quickly realized that there could be more than one correct answer. This activity prompted great discussions among the students. Students realized that given dimensions lead to one correct prism, but that a given volume led to multiple figures with different dimensions.

At the end of this activity students were able to identify the formulas used to figure out volume.  It was much more meaningful for students to identify the relationship themselves, rather than having it given to them.  Things don’t always go exactly as planned, but this did, and it proved to be a great learning opportunity for the students!