For this lab, I'll introduce how to calculate volume for regular objects (rectangular prisms) using length x width x height. (Sciencespot.net has a very good PowerPoint for volume that I may use as an intro prior to this activity.) I'll demonstrate how to find the 3 dimensions and how to measure to the nearest mm. For the pre-lab, I have a few practice problems to model how to use the formula.
Left Side:
I usually set this lab up as a stations lab. I'll have 10 stations set up around the room with a variety of objects for the students to measure at each station. Some objects include boxes of: tissues, chalk, crayons, colored pencils, scotch tape, markers, as well as wrapped package of index cards, a dry eraser, a textbook, blocks of wood, etc...
Students will travel with their lab partners and each student will measure one item of their choice at the station they are at (I usually have 2 objects at each station). Students will have a set time at each station and then rotate through 8 of them. When they are done, they can use a calculator to find the volume of each object.
Once everyone has calculated the volume, we go over the answers to make sure their calculations were correct. There is usually an acceptable margin of error for the volumes, depending on how precise they were with their measurements. Students may be +/- a few mm per measurement.
Right Side:
I created a measuring worksheet for cm and mm. Instead of a regular "measure the line and write it down" kind of sheet, I made it a little bit different. The students have to find the line that matches the measurement indicated, and this involves some higher order thinking and processing skills. For example, the first one asks for a line that is 2 cm long. The students look at all the lines and think, "OK, I need something that is small. There are 2 lines that are smaller than all the rest, let me see if one of them is 2 cm long." They continue this process for all the cm & mm lines.
Handouts:
Left Side:
I usually set this lab up as a stations lab. I'll have 10 stations set up around the room with a variety of objects for the students to measure at each station. Some objects include boxes of: tissues, chalk, crayons, colored pencils, scotch tape, markers, as well as wrapped package of index cards, a dry eraser, a textbook, blocks of wood, etc...
Students will travel with their lab partners and each student will measure one item of their choice at the station they are at (I usually have 2 objects at each station). Students will have a set time at each station and then rotate through 8 of them. When they are done, they can use a calculator to find the volume of each object.
Once everyone has calculated the volume, we go over the answers to make sure their calculations were correct. There is usually an acceptable margin of error for the volumes, depending on how precise they were with their measurements. Students may be +/- a few mm per measurement.
Right Side:
I created a measuring worksheet for cm and mm. Instead of a regular "measure the line and write it down" kind of sheet, I made it a little bit different. The students have to find the line that matches the measurement indicated, and this involves some higher order thinking and processing skills. For example, the first one asks for a line that is 2 cm long. The students look at all the lines and think, "OK, I need something that is small. There are 2 lines that are smaller than all the rest, let me see if one of them is 2 cm long." They continue this process for all the cm & mm lines.
Handouts:
- This is the pre-lab sheet for the top of the left page.
- This is the lab sheet for the left page.
- This is the measurement practice sheet for the right page.
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