Demonstrate part/whole relationships with tools and units for measuring capacity. Length, weight, time and two-dimensional figures are included in capacity measurements. Materials needed include 20 boxes of dry cereal, plastic cereal bowls, five quart containers, five cup containers, five gallon containers and zip-lock plastic bags. Divide the students into five groups. Give each group one each of the containers listed above and four boxes of cereal. Instruct students to practice measuring the ingredients. Offer them calculations to solve with the cup and quart containers and how many quarts are in a gallon. Prepare for this lesson plan in advance by turning in a supply request form for the cereal and other items you will need to your school office.
Divide students into groups or pairs at separate tables. Place gallon containers filled with water at the table, a funnel, a cup, a quart and empty containers of various lengths, widths and sizes. Give each group a ruler with both inches and centimeters. Instruct students to pour the water through the funnel into the cups and quarts then measure the amount of water in each container. Students must record the cup and quart measurements they poured into each container. They must then measure the water in terms of length, height and width with the ruler and record the capacity measurements.
Gather various containers of different capacity sizes, such as 1/2-pints, pints, quarts, 1/2-gallons, gallons and liters. Divide students into groups and give each group a set of the container sizes listed, along with water and paper towels for any spills. Instruct students to pour water from the smallest container into the one size larger container. Students will then pour the water into the other containers, one container at a time, from the smallest to the largest. Review the definition of capacity of the students.
Use visual aids to show students about capacity before giving them worksheets or a hands-on lesson in class. Be creative with this demonstration as this one is for the students who are visual learners. For example, take a friend with you to a big-box retailer and have him take photos of you holding up items of various capacities then download them onto your computer at school to create a SMART Board presentation. You also can bring items into the classroom, such as a gallon of milk, cups of pudding, quart-size containers filled with jello, jam, juice or other items and set them on a table. Demonstrate the capacity of each item to the students and explain how capacities are found around them every day.