1. Connecting Academics & Parents
Academic seminars to sharpen skills and build understanding in Understanding Volume
Critical Point: Welcome Parents and share that this session is about how to help their child have a better understanding of Volume.
Step By Step Directions:
Welcome Parents and Guardians to the training.
Share that this training is about how they can help their child better understand the concept of volume.
Explain that they will be engaged in some activities that will help them to support their child with understanding Volume.
The training will also include some purposeful practice tasks that they can do at home.
Only spend about 2 minutes on this slide.
Materials List: Centimeter Cubes, Measuring Tape, cereal boxes (enough for each family to have one box), Pre-cut nets (handout in the packet), pencils, scotch tape, centimeter grid paper (extra copy in packet to give to parent for creating their rectangular prism nets)
Copies in Packet: Powerpoint Slides (2 per page), Centimeter Grid Paper, Volume Matching Game

2. Mathematics Florida Standards Focus
Grade 5
MAFS.5.MD.3.5 Apply the formulas for V = Bh and V= lwh for rectangular prisms to find the volumes of right rectangular prisms. Recognize volume as additive.
MAFS.5.MD.3.5
Apply the formulas for V = Bh and V= lwh for rectangular prisms to find the volumes of right rectangular prisms.
Recognize volume as additive.
MAFS.5.MD.3.5
Apply the formulas for V = Bh and V= lwh for rectangular prisms to find the volumes of right rectangular prisms.
Recognize volume as additive.
MAFS.5.MD.3.5
Apply the formulas for V = Bh and V= lwh for rectangular prisms to find the volumes of right rectangular prisms.
Recognize volume as additive.
Critical Point: Make sense of the two formulas for Volume and why they work as well as understanding that Volume can be additive (adding)
Step By Step Directions:
Read the slide to the parents.
Click the slide, this highlights the formula V=Bh, explain that when two variables or numbers are placed together with no operational sign it means multiplication.
Explain to parents that their fifth graders will only be responsible for determining the volume of rectangular prisms.
If necessary, explain that a rectangular prism is a solid figure with all rectangular faces.
Explain that the V means volume and the B represents the area of the base of a rectangular prism and the h represents the height of a rectangular prism.
Click the slide, this highlights the formula V=lwh, explain the additional dimensions that l represents length and w represents height.
Explain to parents that within this Florida Math Standard students will be required to apply both formulas.
Click the slide, this highlights recognize volume is additive, explain that this means that volume can be determined by splitting the prism into layers and adding the volume of the layers.
Only spend about 2 minutes about this slide.
For more information about this standard visit

3. Let’s Talk about Volume
What do you know about Volume?
How was Volume taught when you were in school?
Critical Point: Determine background knowledge of parents on their understanding of volume
Step by Step Directions:
1. Click Slide, pose question to parents/guardians.
2. Ask parents/guardians to share their knowledge about what they understand about Volume.
3. Based on the answers shared, come to an agreement that volume represents the amount of space an object takes up.
4. Click slide, pose second question to parents/guardians.
5. Ask parents/guardians to share how they were taught Volume in school.
6. Anticipate that many parents will only have been given a formula to memorize and that their children will be developing an understanding of why the formula works.
7. Only spend about 3 minutes on this slide.

4. MAFS Learning Progression: Volume
3.MD.3.7
4.MD.1.3
5.MD.3.5
6.G.1.2
Critical Point: Show how learning about time progresses from earlier grades to future grades.
Step by Step Directions:
Share learning progression for volume.
Provide parents/guardians with a generalized overview of the progression for Volume such as: It begins in second with dividing rectangles into equal sized square units, in grades 3 and 4 the concept of area is developed and applied, in grade 5 the concept of area is used to develop the formulas V=Bh and V=lwh in grade 6 the length/width/height used fractional lengths as opposed to whole number lengths.
Share with parents that if they want to learn more about the standards go to flstandards.org
Spend about 2 minutes about the slide.
Divide a rectangle into rows and columns of same--size squares and count to find the total number of squares.
Multiply side lengths
to find areas of
rectangles in the context of solving real
world problems.
Apply the area
formula for rectangles in real world and
mathematical problems.
Apply the formulas V = lwh and V = Bh for rectangular prisms to find the volumes of right rectangular prisms.
Recognize volume as additive.
Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with fractional edge lengths.
Copyright 2009

5. Speaks Volumes For each net, do the following:
Visualize the prism and estimate how many cubes the prism will hold.
2. Use the centimeter cubes to determine the volume of
your prism.
3. Check your estimate.
4. How did you determine the area of the base
of your prism?
How did you use the area of the base to determine
the volume?
Critical Point: Develop an understanding of how to determine the area of the base and how that is used to calculate volume.
Materials needed for this task:
A bag of 30 centimeter cubes for each family
Pre-cut nets from net handout in packet, one net per family
Scotch Tape
Do not handout rulers or any other measuring tool because we want parents/guardians to make sense of the formula, V=Bh
Step by Step Directions:
Share with parents that nets are 2D representations of 3D figures.
Share with parents that they can fold along the bolded lines to create their prism.
Click once to engage participants in the task on the slide.
Make sure that parents estimate the volume PRIOR to filling the prism with cm cubes and prior to folding the net.
Make sure you ask parents to justify their estimates.
Click a second time, As parents are engaged in the task, ask guiding questions such as:
How did you estimate the Volume of your prism?
Did layering the cubes help you determine the volume?
How did you determine the area of the base?
Is there a connection between the area of the base and the height of the prism?
What if you only had 8 centimeter cubes, could you still determine the volume?
The above questions will lead parents to understanding that volume can be determined by the formula V=Bh.
As you are walking around asking parents the above questions, look for parents that are using the following strategies that will lead parents to understanding why V=Bh works:
A parent that used a layering strategy to determine the volume of the prism.
A parent that determined the area of the base (B) and used repeated addition to determine the volume of the prism.
Share with parents that the area of the base is (B) in the formula.
By the end of this activity, parents should have developed an understanding of how to determine the area of the base and how that is used to calculate the volume of a rectangular prism.
Spend about 15 minutes on this slide.

6. Using the area of the Base to determine Volume of a Right Rectangular Prism
+ 6 cubic units
Critical Point: Visual Model to support understanding of the formula V=Bh
Disclaimer: Only utilize this slide if your parents are still struggling with making sense of V=Bh.
Step by Step Directions:
Explain to parents/guardians that this slide will demonstrate what they just experienced in the previous activity to support them in understanding the formula V=Bh.
Click once to show the area of the base and share that the area of 6 square units is determined by multiplying 2 units by 3 units which represent the length and the width.
Click a second time to show the volume of the base and share that now we are adding in the dimension of height.
Click a third time to show all the layers of the prism and their respective volumes.
Click a fourth time to show the total volume of all the layers added together.
Click a fifth time to show the representation of the solid prism with it’s total volume.
As you are clicking through the animations, answer any questions your parents may have about the formula V=Bh and how it relates to the previous activity.
Spend about 3 minutes on this slide.
The Volume of the Base is
6 cubic units
The Area of the Base is
6 square units
The Volume of the Rectangular Prism is 24 Cubic Units.
Copyright 2009

7. Box It Up…
Toni stacks cube-shaped beads that measure 1 centimeter on each edge in a storage box. The box can hold 3 layers. There are 8 cubes in each layer with no gaps or overlaps. What is the volume of Toni’s storage box?
Critical Point: Apply the formula V=Bh to problem solving situations
Step by Step Instructions:
Have participants solve the problem using the formula V=Bh.
Ask the following questions as you walk around watching your parents solve the problem:
How could use the information that there are 8 cubes in each layer to determine the volume of the prism? (I know that there are 3 layers with 8 cubes each so I have 24 cubic units or I can add 8 three times.)
What do the 3 layers in the prism represent? (they represent the height of the box)
Ask parents how they used V=Bh to solve the problem? (I was told my base was 8 cubes and I added 8 three times because I had 3 layers)
Spend about 5 minutes on this slide.

8. Pump up the Volume
1. Use your measuring tape to determine the length, width and height of your box or prism.
2. Determine the volume of your box or prism using both formulas for volume.
3. How do the two formulas for Volume relate to each other?
4. How is this task different than the Box it Up task?
5. How is addition used in the formula V=Bh?
Critical Point: Relating V=Bh to V=lwh
Disclaimer: With this task, make sure you have distributed measuring tape or rulers to your parents as well as one cereal box per family.
Step by Step Directions:
Click once to engage parents in this task and share with them to estimate their measurements to the nearest whole number.
Click a second time have parents use their measurements to determine the volume of their
prism.
As parents are calculating the volume of their prisms, walk around and look for parents that
are using both formulas V=Bh and V=lwh.
4. Guiding questions to ask as you are walking around:
For parents that used V=Bh, ask them how they determined the area of the base?
(by multiplying the length and the width)
Ask them, how does that relate to V=lwh? (if I don’t
know the area of the base, I can multiply the lwh and still get the same volume. With either
formula I’m still multiplying all 3 dimensions)
5. Debrief the above question whole group so that all parents are making the same connections.
6. Click a third time, question #3 has already been addressed.
Debrief questions 4 and 5 whole group.
Question #4 (Possible answers: In the Box it activity we used the area of the base, I didn’t have to think about the length and the width.
Question #5 (Possible answer: when you multiply the base time the height, you are using repeated addition.)
7. You should spend about 20 minutes on this activity.
Copyright 2009

9. Things to remember about Volume
How did this session help you in supporting your child’s understanding of Volume?
Why do you think it’s important for your child to not rush to memorizing the formulas for volume without understanding?
Volume is the number of cubic units need to take up space. Answers will be expressed in cubic units (ft3, cm3, in3, etc.)
Cubic units refers to 3 dimensions: Length, Width and Height
Students MUST derive the formula through exploration. They will build conceptual understanding of the meaning of volume and why the formula works.
For some situations, Bh may be more efficient to use then lwh.
Critical Point: Building content knowledge for parents on Volume.
Step By Step Directions:
Click through each of the four bullets and read the information on the slide. Answer any
questions that your parents may have.
Click a fifth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the question. (Answers should include: students need to make sense of the formula as to why it works and/or students understand what the variables mean in the formula and why multiplication is used. This understanding supports long term memory of the formula because students understand it.)
Click a sixth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the questions. Answers will vary.
4. This slide should take about 4 minutes.
Copyright 2009

10. Take it Home and Try It! DO TRY THIS AT HOME!
Warning: Implementing this engaging activity will result in an increase in motivation and long-lasting learning.
Task 1: Find the Volume of real world objects in your home such as Kleenex boxes, cereal boxes, or any rectangular prism shaped box.
Practice using both formulas V=Bh and
V=lwh to determine the Volume.
Task 2: Build a Prism, Determine the volume of various prisms given a set of dimensions
Critical Point: Purposeful Practice for parents to help their child in understanding Volume.
Disclaimer: Play the Build a Prism Game prior to this session so that you know how to model and explain it.
Step By Step Directions:
Share the two purposeful practice tasks that are on the slide.
Model how to play the Build a Prism Game so that parents understand how to play it and how it relates to Volume.
Share with parents that they have a copy of the Build a Prism game in their packet.
Answer any remaining questions parents have about Volume.
Thank your parents for coming and taking an active interest in their child’s mathematics education.
This slide should take about 5 minutes.
Copyright 2009