Who doesn't need a giant, one-metre cube in their classroom? If you're teaching Grade 7 Measurement, the answer is "NOBODY"!! Or, at least so my instructional coach argued, as she used up the last of my good chart paper to construct exactly such an object. :)
Realising that this provocative math prop would not last long on the floor of my classroom, we elected to suspend it from the ceiling instead.
(Critical tip for those thinking of following suit: Use LOTS of tape to make sure the thing doesn't fall down overnight and set off the school's alarm. No, seriously!)
My coach was right, btw: I did need a cubic metre hanging from my classroom ceiling: It's been all the rage, and our unit launch for measurement was a success as students worked in groups to ponder what in the world might take up a cubic meter of space, and refreshing their vocabulary memory describing this paper beast with whiteboard markers on their desks (comes off with a damp cloth)...
Realising that this provocative math prop would not last long on the floor of my classroom, we elected to suspend it from the ceiling instead.
(Critical tip for those thinking of following suit: Use LOTS of tape to make sure the thing doesn't fall down overnight and set off the school's alarm. No, seriously!)
My coach was right, btw: I did need a cubic metre hanging from my classroom ceiling: It's been all the rage, and our unit launch for measurement was a success as students worked in groups to ponder what in the world might take up a cubic meter of space, and refreshing their vocabulary memory describing this paper beast with whiteboard markers on their desks (comes off with a damp cloth)...
The visual provocation for the Grade 8 version of the unit was a little more precarious for a teacher with a refined sugar addiction: Of the unspecified (but carefully counted) number of cherry-flavoured nibs my coach and I threw into a cylindrical candy jar the other night in front of a video camera, only a percentage remain; whatever the lovely little Grade 8s estimate or calculate when we get to that lesson, we'll have to subtract 47... as of Thursday afternoon.
Success Criteria - Grade 7:
Success Criteria - Grade 8:
- Find the surface area of a variety of 3-D prisms.
- Determine the volume and capacity of a variety of 3-D prisms.
- Use measurement concepts to solve problems and make mathematical decisions.
- Use written and verbal communication effectively to justify their mathematical problem solving.
- Use technology/manipulatives to solve problems and justify solutions.
Success Criteria - Grade 8:
- Use formulae and mathematical notation to determine the volume of a cylinder
- Determine and use the relationships among units (cubic cm to mL, cubic cm to cubic m) in order to solve problems related to capacity
- Apply knowledge of volume and capacity to communicate understanding of real-world circumstances
After a lengthy centers-based unit on Fractions, Ratios, Decimals and Percents, we are looking forward to co-teaching this unit in a somewhat more traditional manner; although we plan to include a few centers periods later in the unit (to free us up to work remedially with small groups), most of the classes for this unit will comprise 3-part lessons.
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