Math lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes
Volume by counting layers of unit cubes
Geometry
CCSS 5.MD.C.3CCSS 5.MD.C.4England: Y5 Measurement
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Volume by counting layers of unit cubes.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Find area by counting unit squares; Cube numbers and the ³ sign
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Rulers and protractors, Squared or dotted paper, Shape cut-outs, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Find area by counting unit squares; Cube numbers and the ³ sign). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What is 6³? → 216Prompt: 6³ means 6 × 6 × 6.
- What is 5³? → 125Prompt: 5³ means 5 × 5 × 5.
- What is 2³? → 8Prompt: 2³ means 2 × 2 × 2.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a photo of a building, a tile pattern or a road sign and ask what shapes and angles students can spot.
- Share the objective: Volume by counting layers of unit cubes. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Isla builds a cuboid from unit cubes: 3 cubes long, 4 cubes wide and 2 cubes tall. How many cubes does Isla use?
- Step 1: 3 × 4 × 2 = 24
- Answer: 24
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Tariq builds a cuboid from unit cubes: 3 cubes long, 4 cubes wide and 3 cubes tall. How many cubes does Tariq use? → 36Prompt: Find the cubes in the bottom layer first.
- Ana builds a cuboid from unit cubes: 3 cubes long, 4 cubes wide and 3 cubes tall. How many cubes does Ana use? → 36Prompt: Find the cubes in the bottom layer first.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Lucia builds a cuboid from unit cubes: 5 cubes long, 2 cubes wide and 2 cubes tall. How many cubes does Lucia use? → 20Prompt: Find the cubes in the bottom layer first.
- Lucia builds a cuboid from unit cubes: 2 cubes long, 2 cubes wide and 4 cubes tall. How many cubes does Lucia use? → 16Prompt: Find the cubes in the bottom layer first.
Watch out for
- Thinking a square turned on its corner is no longer a square.
- Reading the wrong scale on a protractor.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Find area by counting unit squares.
- Use concrete materials: rulers and protractors.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder