Materials for the lesson

The Teacher asks from the children to bring a paper or plastic cup full of beans (other stuff can be used walnuts, candies etc). We will also need empty small paper boxes from corn-flakes, dishwasher powder, milk, shoe-boxes, juice all different sizes evenly cut on the top and one large cardboard-box).

Layout of the classroom

The desks are set aside, creating i.e. 5 small circles/nests for the groups of the children.

1^st Phase

The children count the beans in their cup.                          Let’s say they have each 35 beans (if there are 25 children in the class then all the beans are 875)
The children divide into 5 groups and go to the 5 circles created by the desks.
Each circle (from 1 to 5) has the boxes placed from larger to smaller (so the first circle has the large cardboard-box, the second one smaller containers and the 5^th circle will have the original cups).

2^nd Phase

The Teacher asks the children to put the beans in the cardboard-box of the 1^st group (the larger one). Then take all their cups to the 5^th group. So, the box of the first group has all 875 beans.
The children of the 2^nd group ask the ones from the 1^st, to fill their boxes with beans (all their boxes together should fit in the larger cardboard-box)
Indicative Dialogue:
Children of the 2^nd: You have plenty of beans and we have none, we brought our containers to fill them up to cook and eat.
Children of the 2^nd: Our box is full, we will be happy to give you beans so you can eat.

The children of the 2^nd group put in the boxes of the corn-flake for example beans (that are smaller than the 1^st group but larger than the 3d). So, the first cardboard-box, of the 1^st group, is empty but 10 small corn-flakes boxes, of the 2d group fit in there, filled with beans.
Result: the capacity of the 1^st box is 10 corn flakes-boxes or 875 beans.
They transfer the boxes to their own circle to receive the children of the 3d group and do the same as previously. We have the same dialogue improvising.

3d Phase

The process continues until we arrive at the 5^th circle where the children have as boxes the original cups.
The children fill up their cups from the boxes of the 4th group. Now they should have the same as the beginning. They count the beans and find them 35 (more or less is not important). The ones that have more give to the ones that have less and so everyone is happy with what they had to begin with.

4^th Phase

The lesson goes on as the Teacher thinks best, discussing capacity and containers, according to the book.