Maybe we fit, maybe we don’t

1st Grade Mathematics: Capacity Measurement
Chapter 8- Sub chapter 54/2 (Greek Educational System)

Go to the lesson

 

capasity mesurments

 

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.

1st 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 5th circle will have the original cups).

2nd Phase

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

The children of the 2nd group put in the boxes of the corn-flake for example beans (that are smaller than the 1st group but larger than the 3d). So, the first cardboard-box, of the 1st group, is empty but 10 small corn-flakes boxes, of the 2d group fit in there, filled with beans.
Result: the capacity of the 1st 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 5th 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.

4th Phase

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