ELED533UNITPLAN

A.

STEAM Integrated Unit- 5th

Grade Measurement
B.

UNIT STANDARDS
Mathematics SOLs:

5.8. The student will

a)

Find perimeter, area, and volume in standard units of measure;

b)

Differentiate among perimeter, area, and volume and identify whether the
application of the concept of perimeter, area, or volume is appropriate for a given
situation;
c)

Identify equivalent measurements within the metric system;

d) Estimate and then measure for a given situation involving measurement using U.S.
customary and metric units;
e)

Choose an appropriate unit of measure for a given situation involving measurement

using U.S. customary and metric units.
Science SOLs:

5.1. The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and nature
of
science by planning and conducting investigations in which
b) Estimates are made and accurate measurements of length, mass, volume, and

temperature are made in metric units using proper tools;

g) Data are collected, recorded, and analyzed.
English SOLs:
5.4. The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
g) Study word meanings across content areas.
Math Process Standard:
Problem solving has been integrated throughout the six content strands. The development
of problem-solving skills should be a major goal of the mathematics program at every grade
level. instruction in the process of problem solving will need to be integrated early and
continuously into each students mathematics education.
Measurement Learning Progressions:
Length
: Describe measureable attributes

direct comparison & Seriation indirect

comparison & unit iteration w/ manipulative standard units and standard rulers inverse
relationship between size of unit and number of units

personal benchmarks for estimating

units of units within and across systems

Area
: Describe measureable attributes

direct comparison

spatial structuring as unit

iteration w/ manipulative standard units

mental visual image for spatial structuring

relate perimeter and area

abstract and use formulas

Solid Volume

: Describe measureable attributes

direct comparison & indirect comparison

spatial structuring as 3D unit iteration w/ manipulative standard units

mental visual image

for spatial structuring and abstract formula

abstract and use formulas

relate surface area

and volume
Liquid Volume/Capacity
: Describe measureable attributes

direct comparison & indirect

comparison

spatial structuring as 3D unit iteration w/ standard units

mental visual image

for spatial structuring

abstract and use formulas

units of units within and across systems

Weight/Mass
: Describe measureable attributes

direct comparison & indirect comparison

indirect comparison & unit iteration w/ manipulative standard units and standard units

inverse relationship between size of unit and number of units

personal benchmarks for

estimating

units of units within and across systems

C.

UNIT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand

Know

Do

U1.
The students will
understand that there are
multiple forms of
measurement that can be
applied to a variety of
situations and the type of
measurement used varies
from situation to
situation.
U2.
The students will
understand
the

equivalent units
between

U.S. Customary Units and

metric units.
U3.
The students will
understand the
importance of making
accurate and precise
measurement readings
when collecting data and
carrying out experiments.

K1
. The students will know the
following definitions:
-Perimeter:
The distance around or
the border of a 2D shape;
-Area:
The amount of space inside
the boundary of a 2D object;
-Volume:
the amount of space a 3D
object occupies.
K2.
The students will know the
following definitions:
-
Weight:
The pull of gravity on the
mass of an object, which changes
depending on the gravitational pull
at its location.
-
Mass:
The amount of matter in an
object, which remains the same
regardless of its location.
K3
.
The students will know
appropriate measuring devices for
the following:
-
length:
ruler, measuring tape, yard
stick
-
weight
& mass:

scales, balances
-
liquid volume
: measuring cups,

D1
. The students will
determine the perimeter
of a polygon with or
without diagrams.
D2
. The students will
estimate and determine
the perimeter of a
polygon.
D3
. The students will
estimate and determine
the area and volume of
specific objects.
D4.
The students will
estimate and determine
weight and mass of
specific objects.
D5.
The students will
differentiate among the
concepts of perimeter,
area, and volume and
clearly communicate these
to others.
D6
. The students will
develop a procedure for

beakers, graduated cylinders;

K4.
The students will know
appropriate U.S. Customary OR
metric unit of measure for the
following:
-
length:
part of an inch, inches, feet,
yards, centimeters, and meters;
-
weight and mass:
ounces, pounds,
and tons, grams and kilograms;
-
liquid volume:
cups, pints, quarts,
gallons, milliliters, and liters;
-
area
: square units.

finding volume using

manipulatives.
D7
. The students will
identify equivalent
measurements within the
metric system.
D8
. The students will solve
problems involving
measurement by selecting
an appropriate measuring
device and a U.S.
customary or metric unit
of measure.
D9
. The students will
collect, record, and
analyze data involving the
U.S. customary or metric
unit of measurement.

Assessment
Multiple materials will be put out for a pre-assessment experiment in order to assess what students
know about measurement in terms of area, perimeter, volume, liquid volume, and weight and mass.
This assessment will show if they know when to properly use each form of measurement, what device
to use for each form, what objects can be measured in different ways, if they can use appropriate
units, and what strategies they use to think about comparing objects sizes, shapes, and amounts.
The materials they will measure include:
a glass of water - students might focus on the weight of the whole thing, the liquid volume, or
the circumference around the glass. They may also see that you can find the volume of the
glass (a cylinder)
a specific poster/sign on the wall - students might describe the perimeter, the length of one
side, and/or the area.
a box with a lid - the essential focus is hoped to be the volume/how much space is inside the
box but students may also measure the perimeter, area of one face, and the weight. They may
also measure the box and the lid separately.
a bag of marbles - students may put the marbles in the balance all together or may weigh just
one on its own.

 a stop sign - this material may challenge students who know how to find perimeter and area
but may not know how to find it for other polygons besides rectangles and squares. They
could also weigh this with a scale.
The measuring devices that will be available for the students to use include:
rulers
measuring tapes
glass measuring cups
graduated cylinders
scales
balances
Directions:
1. Take a look at the materials that have been placed on Table 1 at the front of the room. How
could you describe the size and the amount of these materials? Write any estimations or
hypotheses you have for each material.
2. Now look at the measuring devices that are on Table 2. How could these help you to better
measure these objects?
3. Collect your data by taking any measurements of the objects that you think are useful to
answer the questions: What is the size of this object? or How much of this object do I
have? or How much does this object hold? (Each object will not answer every question).
4. Record the measurements and what or how you measured each. Explain your thinking.

*Think about if any objects can be described or measured in multiple ways!*

Recording Sheet for Students:
Object/Material

A glass of water
A specific
poster/sign on
the wall
A box with a lid
A bag of marbles
A stop sign

Rubric:

Estimations/Hypot
hesis

Measurements
and Units

How I
Measured and
Why

Equivalent
Measurement
Using a Different
Unit

Full Accomplishment
(3)

Partial
Accomplishment
(2)

Little to No
accomplishment (1)

Type of Measurement

Apply correct type of

measurement to all
objects and show strong
understanding of each
type.

Apply correct type of

measurement to 3 or 4
of the objects with
minor errors or
exemptions.

Apply correct type of

measurement to two or
less objects and show little
understanding of each
type.

Measurement Devices

Correctly choose a
measuring device for
each type of
measurement used.

Correctly choose a
measuring device most
types of measurement
with minor errors or
mix ups.

Correctly choose a
measuring device for one
or none of the types of
measurement used.

Use of Units (U.S. and

Metric)

Accurately reads,
records, and converts
equivalent
measurements for U.S.
customary units
and
metric units for each
calculation. Minimal to
no calculational errors or
exemptions.

Accurately reads,
records, and converts
equivalent
measurements for U.S.
customary units
or
metric units for most
calculations. Some
errors or exemptions.

Inaccurately reads,
records, and converts
equivalent measurements
for U.S. customary units
or
metric units;
or
does not
include units for any
calculations.

Estimation

Accurately records and

estimates measurements
for U.S. customary units
or metric units for each
calculation. Estimations
are within five percent of
the exact measurement.

Accurately records and

estimates
measurements for U.S.
customary units or
metric units for most
calculations.
Estimations are within
five to ten percent of
the exact
measurement.

Inaccurately records and

estimates measurements
for U.S. customary units or
metric units for
calculations. Estimations
are over ten percent off of
the exact measurement.

Data

Accurately records and

analyzes data to draw
connections between
hypotheses and actual
measurement.

Accurately records
data. Some
connections are made
in data analysis but
may include gaps.

Inaccurately records data.

Lacks understanding of
data analysis or
connecting data to a
bigger picture.

Unit Scope & Sequence

Week 1

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

LessonTopic/

Perimeter
andArea

Conceptual
Understand.

Perimeter
andArea

Conceptual
Understand.

Area

Strategic
Competence

Area

Strategic
Competence

Area

Strategic
Competence

Essential
Question

Howcouldlearningperimeterandareahelppeoplewhoworkinconstruction
andwhatotherplacescouldthisbehelpful?

Learning
Objectives
Addressed

U1,U3,K1,K3,K4,D1,D2,D3,D7

MathTask(s)

Housedesign
project.Basic
layoutusing
squaregrid
paper.
Studentsfind
perimeterof
house,area
ofhouse,and
areaofeach
roomusing
thequestions
Amyusedin
herformative
assessment
activity

Read
Spaghetti
andMeatballs
forAllby
MarilynBurns
aboutthe
conceptsof
perimeterand
area.
Studentsin
5thgrade
should
alreadyhave
basic
understandin
gofthesebut
reintroduce
definitionsof
perimeterand
areaand
createa
comparative
anchorchart
asaclass
includingthe
sections:
is..,can....,

Area
problems
usingthe
arraymodel
strategyto
connect
multiplication
toareafor
rectangles.
Connectlxw
formulato
thisstrategy.

Math
Tangram
Playgroundat
Areas
www.mathpla
Activity16.8
yground.com/
frombook.
area_perimet
and
er
Coverand
Studentscan
Compare
explore
Activity16.9
relationship
withafocus
between
on
perimeterand
trapezoids.
areain

different
Introduce
triangles.
areaformula,
Introduce
allow
areaformula
studentsto
fortriangles,
make
allow
connections
studentsto
between
connecttheir
usingarray
understandin
modelfor
gwiththe
multiplication
formulasand
andthe
practice
formula.
problemson

whiteboards.

lookslikefor
both.

Week2

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

LessonTopic

Perimeter&
Area

Procedural
Fluency

Perimeter&
Area

Procedural
Fluency

Volume&
Connection
between
Volume,
Perimeter&
Area

Conceptual
Understand.

Volume

Strategic
Competence

Volume

Strategic
Competence

Essential
Question

Howcouldlearningperimeter
andareahelppeoplewho
workinconstructionandwhat
otherplacescouldthisbe
helpful?

Learning
Objectives
Addressed

U1,U3,K1,K3,K4,D1,D2,
D3

MathTask(s)

Cardgames
andonline
games
focusingon
thedifference
between
additionin
perimeterand
multiplication
inarea.

Addtohouse
design
project:have
studentsadd
atleasttwo
roomsthat
areshapes
otherthan
rectangles
andrecreate
itonlarger

Howis
Howdoesvolumehelpspatial
volume
understandingand
similarto
measurementandhowdothe
perimeter/
different3Dshapesaffect
areaand
theirvolume?
what
relationships
canbefound
between
these
measurement
U1,U3,K1,
K2,K4,D4,
D5,D7

U1,K1,K4,D4,D5

TheBox
Factory
Activity.Split
into
instructional
groups:one
group
concrete,give
them
manipulatives
sotheycan

Introduce
Volume
fillingup
Formulasfor
strategyfor
3DShapes
volumewith
where
Box
students
Comparison estimateand
cubicunits
experiment
activity16.15
withthe
frombook:
questionhow
comparing
manytimes
volumebtw
willthe

Conversion
questions
frominches
tofeetto
yardsand
inchesto
centimeters.

(relate
perimeter&
area,
abstract/use
formulas)

Week3

paper.They
willlabeleach
room,and
decidehow
much
materialthey
needfor
every
flooring/fencin
getc.by
measuringw/
rulers&using
thearea
formulas
(relate
perimeter&
area,
abstract/use
formulas)

physically
buildeach
boxwithunit
blocks/multilin
kcubes.
Another
groupissemi
concrete,let
themwork
together
drawing
pictures,may
needsquare
gridpaper.
Othergroup
isabstract
andwilluse
formulas/addi
tion/multiplica
tion/division
techniques.
Askeach
grouptotrya
differentway
tosolvethis,
helpingthem
tomovefrom
concrete>se
miconcrete>
abstract
(usesmostof
thelearning
progression
dependingon
whatgroup
thestudents
arein)

rectangular
prisms.
Studentscan
estimate
whichbox
holdsthe
most&fill
differentsized
boxesw/
samesize
manipulatives
&seehow
muchthey
hold(spatial
structuringas
3Dunit
iterationw/
manipulative
standard
units)
Introduce
volume
formulafor
prisms&let
themfindthe
volumeofthe
boxesthat
way
(mentalvisual
imagefor
spatial
structuring/ab
stract
formula)

pyramidfit
intothe
prismand
thesamefor
aconeanda
cylinder.
(direct&
indirect
comparison)
Engage
discussion
aboutthese
relationships.
Introduce
volume
formulasand
letthemwork
withpartners
tomake
connections
aboutthese
formulasand
solveafew
questions.
Final
activity:free
explorewith
3Dshape
manipulatives
.Passaround
differentones
(onesthat
canbefilled,
oneswith
netsinside,
completely
solid
ones...etc)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

LessonTopic

Volume

Strategic
Competence

Volume

Procedural
Fluency

Volume

Procedural
Fluency

Perimeter,
Area,&
Volume

Procedural
Fluency

Perimeter,
Area,&
volume

Procedural
Fluency

Essential
Question

Howdoesvolumehelpspatialunderstanding
andmeasurementandhowdothedifferent3D
shapesaffecttheirvolume?

Howisvolumesimilartowhat
wealreadyknowabout
perimeterandareaandwhat
relationshipscanbefound
betweenthesethreetypesof
measurements?

Learning
Objectives
Addressed

U1,K1,K4,D4,D5

U1,U3,K1,K2,K4,D4,D5,
D7,D8

MathTask(s)

Week 4

Studentswill
playthe
onlinegame,
Illuminations.

Onlinefound
at:
http://illuminat
ions.nctm.org
/Activity.aspx
?id=4095
Studentswill
createrows
andlayersto
create
3dimensional
figuresfrom
the2
dimensional
netdiagram.

Studentswill
playthe
online
activity,
Whatisthe
volume?
onlinefound
at:
https://www.ix
l.com/math/gr
ade5/volume
ofcubesand
rectangularp
risms
Studentswill
multiplythe
length,width,
andheightof
different
polygons.

QuickImages
tobeginthe
day

Volume
Treasure
Huntactivity

Matching
gamesto
identifywhen
touse
perimeter,
whentouse
area,and
whentouse
volume

Solve
problems
using
perimeter,
area,and
volumeon
whiteboards/
thenbreak
into
instructional
groupsand
answer
questions
recordand
check
answersin
Bingoformat

Monday

LessonTopic ConnectSolid
Volume&
Liquid
Volume

Conceptual
Understand.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Liquid
Volume

Strategic
Competence

Liquid
Volume

Strategic
Competence

Liquid
Volume

Strategic
Competence

Liquid
Volume

Procedural
Fluency

Essential
Question

Howislearningaboutliquidvolumebeneficialtodailyactivities(cooking,filling
upgas,etc.)?

Learning
Objectives
Addressed

U1,U2,U3,K3,K4,D5,D6,D7,D8

MathTask(s)

Recipe
Menu:
makingice
cream
choosing
flavorof
choice
(describe
measurable
attributes)

After,havean
open
discussion
aboutwhywe
measuresolid
volumeand
liquidvolume
differently.
Haveanexit
ticketasking
themwhat
howthey
thinkgasis
measured
andwhy(get

Defineliquid
volumeand
reintroduce
metricunits:
millilitersand
liters.Let
themmake
connections
bywritinga
phrase,
drawing
picture/symbo
lstohelp
remember
themand
everyday
objectsthat
areabout
thosesizes.
ThatsCool
Activity16.16
frombook.
Meltingice
cubes
connectsto
phasesof

Reintroduce
Focuson
Wholeclass
U.S.
estimating. participatesin
customary
Makerotating
aFamily
units:cups,
groups:1)
FeudType
pints,quarts, liquidvolume gamewhere
gallons.Make withactivities studentsget
gallonmen.
like
Filland
intoteams
Differentiate
Pour
&
How andcompete
basedon
High?o
nthe
toanswer
product
smartboard
liquidvolume
readinessby
together2)
related
allowingthem
workon
questions.
tocreatetheir
multiple
These
gallonmanin
choice
questions
differentways
estimation
mightask
(physical
questions
themto
materialslike
basedoff
convertwithin
actualcups
SOLSlikea
metricfrom
andgallon
schoolmilk
millilitersto
jugs,
cartonis
litersorwithin
construction
about____
U.S.
paper,or
(mentalvisual customaryor
modelson
imagefor
itmayask
thecomputer)
spatial
themto
structuring&
estimatethe

themthinking
about
connections
between
phasesof
matter)

matterin
scienceand
theycanuse
beakers/grad
uated
cylindersto
measurein
metric.
(spatial
structuringw/
standard
units)

abstract/use
formulas)
Pullaguided
mathgroup
withkids
struggling
with
conversion
factswithin
U.S.
customary.
Letthemuse
more
models/manip
ulativesby
physically
pouring4
cupsintoa
pintor2
quartsintoa
gallon,etc.
Talkabout
connections
and
strategies.
(direct
comparison)

capacityofa
certainobject.

(unitsofunits
within
systems)

Thursday

Friday

Week 5

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

LessonTopic/

Weight&
Mass

Conceptual
Understand.

Weight&
Mass

Strategic
Competence

Weight&
Mass

Procedural
Fluency

Essential
Question

Whatistherelationshipbetweenweightand
massandhowdoweusethesemeasurement
typesinscience?

Whole
Whole
Measurement Measurement
Unit
Unit

Howareallthesetypesof
measurementrelated?When
canweusethemtogether?

Learning
Objectives
Addressed
MathTask(s)

U1,U2,U3,K2,K3,K4,D7,D8

Introduce
weightand
massvocab
andtalk
aboutwhy
theyarethe
sameon
Earth.
Discusswhat
thingswe
usually
weigh:
people,food,
moving
boxes,etc.
(describe
measureable
attributes)
Helpthem
conceptualize
bycomparing
theirweight
onearthand
weightin
spacewith
YourWeight
inSpace
ApponiPads.

Free
explore
activitywith
partners
wherethey
cancompare
weightof
objectsin
theirhandsto

Rocks
Experiment:
make
estimations
and
observations
about
weights,
experiment
withweighing
different
typesofrocks
withscales,
collect/record/
analyzedata

Convert
metricU.S.
customary
(personal
benchmarks
forestimating
&unitsof
unitswithin
systems)

Menuof
typesof
gamesfor
procedural
fluency,let
students
choose3out
of5,someto
playwitha
partnerand
sometoplay
individually.
Workwith
guidedmath
groupusing
stringsof
related
problemsif
some
studentsare
struggling
with
conversionor
estimationof
weightand
mass.
(personal
benchmarks
forestimating
&unitsof
unitswithin
systems)

Allobjectives

Measurement
Olympicswith
events:right
handed
marblegrab,
lefthanded
sponge
squeeze,and
bigfoot
contestto
incorporate
alltypesused
intheunit.

Havea
reflective
class
discussion.
Prompt
questions
like,how
measurement
canbe
importantin
theOlympics
andinother
sports?
Whereelse
haveweseen
measurement
usedalot?
Doyouthink
U.S.
customaryis
easierto
compute/und
erstandthan

Post
Assessment
described
aboveas
preassessme
nt.Have
studentsdo
thisactivity
againasan
experiment
withdifferent
materials.
Havethem
estimate/mak
ehypotheses
aboutwhat
devicethey
willuseto
measure
each,what
the
measurement
swillbeand
thenhave
them
measureeach
objectand
convertitto
eitheranother
unitwiththe
systemor
frommetricto
U.S.
customary.
Theycanfind
awayto
visually
representthe

actualweight
using
balances
(direct&
indirect
comparison&
unititeration
with
manipulative
standard
units&rulers)

metric?Why
orwhynot?

datathey
collectand
shareasa
class.

Justification using Learning Progressions

Most specific inclusion of the stage of each learning progression is written in parenthesis under the
activity in the sequence.
Area:
This unit is for 5th grade so these students should be able to make comparisons and use
physical models of standard units for area, therefore our unit starts with mental visual image for
spatial structuring and moves to relate perimeter & area and abstract/use formulas. In the classroom,
if students were struggling at the beginning of this topic, we would reintroduce physical models for
better understanding.
Solid Volume & Liquid Volume:
This unit moves through the entire learning progressions for both of
these attributes of measurement because we may have students at many different levels of
understanding and in order to get the best results and allow students to build on their problem
solving skills, it is important that they have a strong basis of making comparisons and can see
measurement through physical models before applying measuring instruments and abstract
thinking/using formulas. There are also days where different stages of the learning progression are
applied because students may be in different groups or move through different stages that allow
them to be at different places in the progression.
Weight & Mass:
Our activities for this topic also move through the whole learning progression
starting with describing measureable attributes and finishing with units of units within systems.
Guided math groups were added to a day in order to help any students that may need help moving
from making comparisons to using measuring instruments.

ELED533LESSONPLANFORMATTwoLessonsfromUnitPlanningProject
JMU Elementary Education Program

A. My Dream House- Area and Perimeter Application

B. Learning Objectives
Understand

Know

Do

U1.
The students
will understand
that there are
multiple forms of
measurement that
can be applied to a
variety of
situations and the
type of
measurement
used varies from
situation to
situation.

K1.
The students will know the
following definitions:
-Perimeter:
The distance around or the
border of a 2D shape;
-Area:
The amount of space inside the
boundary of a 2D object.
K2.
The students will know appropriate
measuring devices for the following:
-
length:
ruler, measuring tape, yard
stick.
K3.
The students will know appropriate
U.S. Customary OR metric unit of
measure for the following:
-
length:
part of an inch, inches, feet,
yards, centimeters, and meters;
-
area
: square units.

D1
. The students will
determine the perimeter and
area of a polygon with or
without diagrams.
D3.
The students will
differentiate among the
concepts of perimeter and
area and clearly communicate
these to others.
D4
. The students will solve
problems involving
measurement by selecting an
appropriate measuring device
and a U.S. customary or
metric unit of measure.

C.

ASSESSING LEARNING
Objective

Assessment Tool

Data Collected
What will your students do and say,
specifically, that indicate each student
has achieved your objectives?

U1, D3

Conferencing w/ Observation
Checklist

Students will explain why they

used a specific
strategy/formula/type of
measurement for one aspect of
the house.Ex: I did length x
width to find the area of each

room so I would know how

much flooring I need in each
room. First, I added the
length of all the sides of the
triangle to find perimeter and
perimeter is the distance
around the room but I needed
to find all the space inside,
which is area, so I used the
formula: b x h.
K2

Conferencing w/ Observation
Checklist

When observing, I will see if

the students are using the
rulers correctly and ask them
what other devices they might
use if they didnt have a ruler
or if they were measuring
something bigger. Students
should say either measuring
tape or a yard stick- things that
measure length but not
measuring devices for other
types of measurement (scale,
measuring cup, etc.)

K1, K3, D1, D4

Work Samples (students final

product of this assignment)

By answering the questions

correctly and applying
perimeter and area to the
correct ones, the students will
show that they have a strong
understanding of the meaning
and use of each and that they
determine these
measurements using formulas
or other strategies.
In their answers, they will give
the measurements they
calculate with correct units on
their houses/Think Sheets. Ex:
The trampoline room is 18 cm
x 13 cm- Perimeter = 62 cm,
Area = 234 square cm. My
house is 2 ft. 4 in. x 2 ft. The
whole perimeter is 8 ft. 8 in. so
thats how much fencing I need
to put around it. I need to tell
the architects that the area is 4

square feet ( 4ft. 4 in.) I will

look for appropriate
application of either U.S.
Customary units or metric units
and the inclusion of square
units when describing area
only.

G.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Large construction paper or poster board for each student (I will provide)
Scrap white paper for any student that wants it (I will provide)
Scissors (Each student should have their own)
Glue sticks (Each student should have their own)
Pencils (Each student should have their own)
Colored pencils or markers (Each student should have their own but I will have additional)
Rulers (I will provide)
Think Sheet to fill in procedures, show work, and write final answers (I will provide)
G1
ANTICIPATION OF STUDENTS MATHEMATICAL RESPONSES TO THE TASK(S) POSED IN THE
PROCEDURE PORTION OF THE LESSON
Students will create a layout of a house or other type of building on large construction paper/poster
board where they will draw the outline of the building, the rooms inside, measure and calculate the
perimeters and areas, and label all parts of the project.
PROMPT: You are designing a new home for yourself and you want to make it the best house ever,
full of any types of rooms you want! The architects need to know the area and perimeter of the entire
land you are using so they know how much they have to build. They also put you in charge of getting
the materials for the flooring. So what types of floors will each room have and how much of each type
will you need? Your house must have at least 8 rooms/spaces. At least two of your rooms must be
polygons that are
not
rectangles. Include precise measurements, a title, and labels for each space.
Show all your work and thinking on this sheet.
You are welcome to design a building other than a house if youd like but use the same directions!
Ideas: zoo, mall, sports arena, gymnasium.
(*My descriptions and notes for the procedure are designed for a house but the same concepts would
still apply for any other type of building chosen.)
Anticipations:
Students may design their house first and then take the measurements of each part or they
may make certain measurements first and build the rest of their house around that, like

G2

making the game room the biggest part in the shape of an octagon in the middle of their
layout and then adding on other rooms from there. Some students may see that because they
have to find the perimeter and area of the whole building, making it one, large, simple shape,
like a rectangle and dividing it into different rooms would be easiest to find these measures
but other students may not think about it and will add the measures of each room for the
total area and each outside wall for the total perimeter.
Students may not understand the house concept and that the rooms and spaces must all be
connected in order to make one total polygon. If they draw something separate from the main
building, like a unattached garden or swimming pool they may have some confusions or
misconceptions about polygons and the total perimeter.
When measuring perimeter, students may use formulas for rectangles and squares: 2l x 2w =
perimeter of a rectangle and a parallelogram so they would only measure one length side and
one width side, multiply each by 2, and add them together. Other students may simply take
the measurement of every side and add them together. Also, some students may keep track
of each side on their layout or they may calculate by each room. If they record each side on
their drawing, the will not have to keep measuring, whereas if multiple rooms are connected
but they are measuring each room separately, they may end up taking the same
measurements over and over again.
When figuring out how much flooring they need, they might confuse whether they are
supposed to calculate perimeter and area, showing a lack of understanding about the
meaning of the two.
Students may forget or misunderstand that circles are not polygons and make circular rooms.
How they measure these rooms may also show misconceptions or strategies may be correct
but that not involved in this unit like using the area and circumference formulas or simply
measuring the distance across the circle (the diameter) and claiming that to be the size of the
room.
Small calculational errors may be made when adding, multiplying, or continuously using the
the same side of the ruler. Students may accidentally switch the ruler and not realize that they
are measuring from the bottom end or that they are now in centimeters when they started in
inches.

PROCEDURE

BEFORE:
Before this activity, the students will already have done a first draft of it for the formative
pre-assessment for perimeter and area where they created a simple, one-story layout with all
rectangle rooms and the rooms could be anything they wanted. This will allow me to be aware
of their prior knowledge. In order to get students attention I will bring this activity up: For
the activity where you made your own house, what were some of the different room ideas
you all came up with? Let students share their answers- hopefully they enjoyed their work

and will be excited to share. Then ask, Does anybody have any
new
ideas that they wish they
had included? Let students share again and then transition into the directions of the
extension project.
Well now you have the opportunity to add those new ideas or change your original layout
because we will be creating larger-scale blueprints of our houses. You can be as creative as
you want but there are a few more challenges this time. Let a student pass out a Think
Sheet (one side has the instructions and the other has spaces for recording data, answering
the questions, and any mathematical thinking they use). Direct the class to read through the
prompt and directions with a partner and talk about what they need to know and calculate for
this assignment.
PROMPT: You are designing a new home for yourself and you want to make it the best
house ever, full of any types of rooms you want! The architects need to know the area of the
entire land you are using so they know how much they have to build. They also put you in
charge of getting the materials for the flooring. So what types of floors will each room have
and how much of each type will you need? Your house must have at least 8 rooms/spaces
.
At least two of your rooms must be polygons that are
not
rectangles
.
Come back together as a class and ask the following questions:
What questions do you all have about this project?
What do you think you should do first?
What steps would you take after that?
What should you do before you say youre done and turn it in?
Let students answer and progressively come up with steps as a class. Write them on the board
as the students say them. These steps should not stifle their creativity in any way or give away
any answers but give clear direction and expectation for the work that should be put in. The
result should resemble something like: 1. Brainstorm what I want my house to look like and
what rooms/floors I want. 2. Draw an outline of my house and make my rooms/spaces. 3.
Make any calculations to answer the questions and record them on think sheet 4. Label all the
parts, give it a title, and make it look beautiful! 5. Double check calculations, spelling, and
make sure my name is on it. Leave these steps on the board and allow it to be a self-checklist.
The students can put a check next to each step on the board as they complete it throughout
the process.
Finally, show the class two examples of layouts done either by past students or by myself.
One, that has very creative ideas like a treehouse with a trampoline room or a room of
quicksand for intruders or a pool inside that takes up the whole room. The other that is pretty
traditional with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, etc. but both meet the
requirements of the project. These are two examples of houses. Whats different about
them? Allow students to answer and guide them to a conclusion that they contain many
different things but are both great houses. The stuff inside these houses are very different ,
right? But are both these houses acceptable? Yes, of course! It doesnt matter what is in your
house, make it however YOU like as long as you answer the questions and instructions.
Thumbs if you understand and are ready to start creating. Students will know that thumbs
means they give me a thumbs up for I understand, a sideways thumb for kind of but I have

questions, or a thumbs down for Im lost. Address any last questions if any students are still
confused about specific parts.
You should have scissors, glue, colored pencils if you need them and rulers and paper are at
the front of the room. When I call you, you may get any materials you need and pick any place
in the room youd like to work. Call students up in small groups in a fun way like, Come up if
your favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate or in a math way like, Come up if the number
of letters in your name is a multiple of 3...4.2 until all students have gotten materials and
are working independently.

DURING:
Implementation
Students will be working on their projects independently around the room and will be able to
move around freely to use the materials, follow the checklist, ask each other questions, and
look up ideas if necessary.
During this time, I will walk around and conduct brief conferences with each student
individually about their work and their mathematical thinking. I will ask them things like:
Can you tell me about your house? This would be my starting question for any
student that doesnt come directly out and tell me something without being
prompted.
What answers did you get so far? How did you figure that out? This will show me if
they know when they need to calculate perimeter and area and if they are using
correct formulas/strategies to do so or if they need further guidance.
What are you measuring here? Can you explain that to me? Same as Q above.
What did you need to know in order to figure out the area?
What did you find first, perimeter or area? Which one answers this question (pick
one)? Same as Q above.
What is your favorite part of the house? Just to keep students engaged and find out
what students are interested in.
Is there another strategy you could use to find that answer? This question could be
used to steer students into deeper thinking if they are only using counting, addition, or
comparing strategies. I may also need to ask something like, How could you change
this addition problem into a multiplication problem?
I will record notes about their thinking, focusing on the strategies they use to find perimeter
and area and the relationship between them both. I will make sure to note students with low
conceptual understanding, students who made major calculational errors, and students who
have a strong grasp of the concepts and formulas together.
If there are students that finish a substantial amount of time before the rest of the class, I will
offer them a choice between two extension activities:
1. Add additional floors to your house. How many levels would you want your house to have?
How would this affect your measuring? What other information do you think the architects

would need to know? Add volume into your calculations. This problem allows them to extend
their thinking into a relatable connection between perimeter and area to volume and will help
with the transition to volume the following day.
2. Imagine you are now designing a neighborhood that only has houses that are your exact
size. The neighborhood is 100 yards x 100 yards. What is the smallest number of houses you
could have to make this a neighborhood and what is the largest number of houses that would
fit in this area? This problem involves conversions and units of units across systems and also
requires them to think about spatial awareness and apply multiplication/division strategies.
Students who finish with just a few minutes left in class may play measurement games on the
computer/iPads to help strengthen procedural fluency across the topics that have been
introduced already.
AFTER:
After the students have finished with their projects, we will have a house warming party
(the name may need to be altered if multiple students chose a building besides a house to
create) where we will post their designs around the room and the students can
admire/observe/compare their classmates ideas. (I reward mentioned at the beginning of the
day could be if they met a certain goal or maintained a certain behavior that we could have
popcorn or some other type of snack during this activity).
The students will engage in a full class discussion focused on the connection between
perimeter and area in this assignment and in real life situations. In my anticipations, I thought
about the different routes students could have taken through the project: some could have
drawn the outline of the house first, separated it into different shapes, and calculated
measurements from there; some could have started with one focal room, taken its
measurements, and branched off from there; and some could have made room by room,
calculating their measurements one at a time and then adding together for the total. When I
walk about and conduct my conferences, the questions I have thought to ask also fit into this
anticipation and help me to see the process strategies they use. Based on these things, I will
select three students who took different routes and showed different thinking from beginning
to end to share with the class. Students will be allowed to discuss after each one and address
and similarities made between the student who shared and their own work.
I will start with a student who created the layout room by room, one at a time and allow
students to make connections or see how this strategy may be beneficial and how this could
help connect perimeter and area. I will guide students to think about having the
measurements of one room and creating a new one connected to it allows you to lessen the
amount of measurements you take because they share at least one side and how this may
help with visualization and estimation because if you know the measurement of one room and
you want to make the next room accordingly, you can estimate the measurements by
comparing it to the first one. I will then have a student share who created the rooms
separately (without a big picture in mind) but came out with a nonspecifically shaped polygon

with many different sides. Last, I will have a student share how they thought about the shape
they wanted to total layout to be, found its perimeter and area, and then broke that into
different shapes in order to make the calculations of the whole simpler. I will guide the
students to discuss how this strategy could also be beneficial and how each room represents
one part of the whole. Through this whole class discussion, students may make connections
between measurement, multiplication, addition, and fractions. I may ask questions to guide
their thinking like:
Why did you decide to start there?
What did you think about first?
How is that similar to
student As
strategy?
Did anyone think of a similar way to solve that?
How did you use perimeter AND area for that question?
Can you explain how you used multiplication to figure out how much flooring you
need? What about when we did it with the square grid paper?
What is another way we could look at each room as being part of a whole?
Where do you think real architects start when creating blueprints and layouts? Why?
Where else might perimeter and area be important?
H.

DIFFERENTIATION

Interest

Content
Chooseanytypeof
building/structureto
design.House,zoo,
mall,gym,sports
arena,etc.toappeal
toallstudents
interests.

Process

Product

Readiness

LessonPlan#2

JMU Elementary Education Program

D.

Ice Cream Machines!

E.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand
what are the
broad
generalizations/concepts
the students should begin
to develop? (These are
typically difficult to assess
in one lesson.)

Know
what are the tools,
vocabulary, symbols, etc. the
students will gain through
this lesson? (These knows
must be assessed in your
lesson.)

Do
what are the
specific thinking
behaviors/procedures
students will be able to
do through this lesson?
(These will also be
assessed in your lesson.)

U1 The students will

understand the
importance of making
accurate and precise
measure readings when
collecting data and
carrying out experiments
while using an appropriate
measuring device and a
U.S. customary or metric
unit of measure.

K1 The students will know

volume is the amount of
space a 3D object occupies.
K2 The students will know an
appropriate measuring
device for liquid volume:
measuring cups, beakers, and
graduated cylinders.
K3 The students will know
appropriate U.S. customary
or metric units of measure
for liquid volume: cups,
quart, gallon, milliliters and
liters.

D1 The students will

solve problems involving
measurement by
selecting an appropriate
measuring device and
U.S. customary or metric
unit of measure.

F.

ASSESSING LEARNING
Remember every objective must be assessed for every student during the lessons!

Objective

Assessment Tool

Data Collected

U1

Observation checklist

The student will describe how

their ice cream turned out.

They will explain its

consistency and its taste. For
example, if students used
precise measurements, their
ice cream would be solid and
taste good. A student may
say, This tastes great! It
looks and tastes like regular
ice cream. If a student
inaccurately measures the
ingredients, the ice cream will
be either too liquidy or salty.
The student may say, This
does not like look or taste
like ice cream. It is disgusting.
I must have measured
something wrong.

K1

Exit Slip

Students will be asked to

answer the questions, What
is volume? What is the
difference between volume
and liquid volume? And, how
would you think gas is
measured? I will look for
students to say that volume is
the amount of space a 3D
object occupies. The
difference between volume
and liquid volume are the
measuring devices used:
ruler, measuring tape, and
yard/meter stick (volume) vs.
graduated cylinder,
measuring cup, and beaker
(liquid volume). Liquid
volume also takes the shape
that the object occupies. The
units of measure are
different: inch, feet, yards,

K2, K3, D1

Observation Checklist

G.
MATERIALS NEEDED
List all materials that will be needed to teach this lesson.
Who will be responsible for securing each item?
Measuring cup (teacher)
Beaker (teacher)
Graduated Cylinder (teacher)
Teaspoon (teacher)
Tablespoon (teacher)
Unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 cup) (teacher)
Milk (1/2 cup) (teacher)
Vanilla (1/2 teaspoon) (teacher)
Sugar (1 tablespoon) (teacher)
Crushed ice (4 cups) (teacher)
Salt (4 tablespoons) (teacher)
Zip-loc bags (2 quart size) (teacher)
Zip-loc freezer bag (1 gallon) (teacher)
Hand towel (teacher)

millimeters, centimeters,
meters, kilometers (volume)
vs. cups, pints, quarts,
gallons, milliliters, and liters
(liquid volume). When
answering how gas is
measured, i anticipate
students will say something
about how the object must
be contained inside of a
closed container in order to
be measured.
Record what measuring
device students chose and
whether they could decipher
the difference between U.S.
customary units and the
metric system, also how their
ice cream turned out. q

Strawberry sauce (teacher) (1/2 cup)

Paper towels (teacher)
G1
ANTICIPATION OF STUDENTS MATHEMATICAL RESPONSES TO THE TASK(S) POSED IN THE
PROCEDURE
PORTION OF THE LESSON
In order to make ice cream, I anticipate that students will choose to use the measuring cups to
measure out the various ingredients. Students could also try to use either the beaker or graduated
cylinder, but if students originally choose these items, I anticipate they will soon realize they would
rather use a measuring cup because of the measurements the students need to measure. Students
could decide to measure with beakers or graduated cylinders, but they will be required to convert the
given measurements to milliliters and liters. Unless they remember how to do this from fourth grade,
students will most likely opt out of this option. When measuring, I anticipate students to align the
ingredients as exactly as possible with the amount they need to measure by looking at the cup. When
measuring teaspoons and tablespoons, I anticipate students to fill the spoon all the way to the top. I
anticipate a few students to accidentally add too much or too little of certain ingredients, which could
affect the flavor and consistency of the ice cream. Students could also realize they have put too much
of an ingredient in the measuring device and need to pour some back out and re-measure. Students
could measure using beakers and graduated cylinders and not realize they use a different system of
measurement. In this case, it would indicate a misconception that all measuring devices are labeled in
U.S. customary units. I also anticipate some students to spill by accident, perhaps if they do not seal
the bags all the way, which is why paper towels will be available for any necessary clean ups.
If students play the game (extension online activity), I anticipate they will be challenged and it will
take multiple tries for students to find the strategy to successfully empty and refill the different sized
containers. I also anticipate that they will enjoy this activity because it is on the computer and will
hopefully keep them occupied while their classmates finish making the ice cream.

G2
PROCEDURE
Include a DETAILED description of each step, including how you will get the students attention, your
introduction of the activity, the directions you will give students, the questions you will ask, and
appropriate closure. Write
exactly
what you will SAY and DO. Think of this as a script.
BEFORE:
Engagement - How will you prepare students to be ready to engage with the main
task/activity?

Activate prior knowledge.

I will try to get the students attention by talking about ice cream. Who likes ice cream? What
are the best flavors? Do they get to have ice cream at home? etc. and then ask them how they
think volume relates to ice cream. Let them brainstorm and talk with a partner.
Can someone summarize what we learned about in measurement last week? What do we
know about volume? Hopefully someone will raise their hand and say it is the amount of space
a 3D object occupies. I will then explain that since we now understand how to find volume of

solid figures, this week we will be studying liquid volume. I will have a display of a measuring
cup, a beaker and a graduated cylinder. I will ask students to raise their hands if they have seen
each or any of these devices before. Then I will ask where they have seen them and what they
have used them for. We will discuss their answers. Once I have an idea that students know how
the devices work, I will introduce the idea of cooking and ask the students to write down in
their notebooks what is essential to cooking. After a few minutes, I will ask students to share
what they came up with to one another at their tables. Then, we will share our responses as a
class. I will write their responses on the board.

Be sure the task is understood.

Hopefully, someone will mention that the ingredients need to be measured accurately in order
for the final product to taste right. If not, I will probe questions such as, have you ever made
something either by yourself or with your parents that didnt turn out well? Why was that?
Once I feel students understand the importance of precise measurements, I will explain the
activity for the day.
Today, you all are going to make ice cream! There are three flavors to choose from: vanilla,
chocolate, and strawberry. You may choose to make whichever flavor you like the most. You
will be making your own ice cream, but feel free to talk quietly with one another while you
work. First, you will need to choose which measuring device you will want to use in order to
measure out your ingredients. Then, read the directions on the hand out I will give you and you
can make your own ice cream! The ingredients are spread out over the classroom tables.

Establish clear expectations.

Remember to use precise measurements when you are mixing
in the ingredients. Otherwise, your ice cream will not turn out how it is supposed to. For
example, If the directions say to measure teaspoon, one cup, and so forth make sure it is
exact. We are starting our unit on liquid volume, so think about what units and devices you are
using that differ from the volume of objects. Making ice cream is a fun activity, but we are
doing this assignment in order to practice how to accurately measure each variable unit to
create a specified product. It can be a difficult task, so some of you might not end up with tasty
ice cream. BEFORE we begin, please be sure to be careful and try not to spill. The bags need to
be sealed tightly before you shake because otherwise the ingredients will go everywhere. If it
happens, it is okay, but what will you need to do? (Someone raises hand) Good, clean it up.
While you are working, be sure to follow the directions and check off each ingredient on the
recording sheet as you add it into the Zip-loc bag. Once everyone is finished, you will be able to
eat your ice cream and we will discuss how the ice cream turned out. Does anyone have any
questions? I will be walking around while you work so feel free to stop me at any time.

DURING:
Implementation this is the time when students are either working independently or
in small groups and you are conferring with students. (
see pp. 25 of your 3-5 text)
In your procedure, be sure to address the 4 During Phase Teacher Actions:

Let go!
Once students have received their direction sheet, they will be able to move around

and find a table with the ingredients/ measuring devices they want to use for their ice cream
making.
They will work independently but the tables will allow four to five students to work at

the same tables. On the recording sheet, students will be asked to answer questions that help
explain their mathematical thinking. The questions will be: 1. Which unit of measure was the
largest? smallest? 2. Are the units of measure a part of the same measurement system? 3. Can
you name the two types of measurement systems?

Notice childrens mathematical thinking.

As students begin to measure and make their ice
cream, I will walk around and prose questions to the students to get an idea of their
mathematical thinking. I will ask questions such as, How did you decide to use that measuring
device? Tell me what you are doing. Can you tell me why you decided to measure using this
strategy? I will record student responses on an observation checklist. I will also note who used
which measuring device first, whether they realized in their process that a measuring cup
would be easier, or if they tried to convert measurements. I will also ask questions to see
whether the students can name the different sizes of the bags. I will point and ask the students
what size it is and how they knew. I will record their answers.

Provide appropriate support.

If students are having difficulty, I will ask where they got stuck
when they were working or if they know another strategy that would avoid where they are
having trouble. I will record student responses on an observation checklist.

Provide worthwhile extensions.

Noticing childrens mathematical thinking is another way to describe one of the practices for
orchestrating productive mathematics discussions:
Monitoring
. In your procedure, explain how
you will monitor (and document) student strategies to prepare for the After phase.
If students are finished, I will let them eat their ice cream and clean up their workspaces. If
students are finished doing this while others are still working, I will write the following
questions on the board for the students to answer in their notebooks while others work: 1.
How would you solve the same assignment if the units of measurement on the measuring
devices were different? For example, what if you only were given tea spoons and not table
spoons and measuring cups that only held a quarter cup at a time? What would you have to do
before you measured? If students are still waiting for other classmates, I will ask them to go to
the website: pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/pour-score/ on the computers/ipads and
play the game, Pour to Score. The students need to pour liquid from a small container to a
large container and vice versa in order to reach a specific amount of quarts. Once students are
finished making their ice cream, I will observe who starting measuring using a measuring cup
and had their ice cream turn out well. I will also note who used another device first and then
changed to using a measuring cup. If students converted and used beakers and graduated
cylinders, I will note that. If students made inaccurate measurements and their ice cream did
not turn out, I will note that.

AFTER:
Engage the full class in discussion; encourage students to evaluate the ideas; look for
opportunities to highlight significant ideas in students work to make these mathematical ideas
more explicit to all students. (see pp. 25 of your 3-5 text).

In your procedure, be sure to address the 3 After Phase Teacher Actions:

Promote a community of learners.

Once most or all students are finished making their ice
cream and there is about twenty minutes left of class, I will bring the group back together to
have a discussion about the lesson from the day. I will ask broad class questions such as,
Whose ice cream turned out well? Did anyones ice cream not taste good? I will call on some
students to explain what went wrong and how it tasted. I will ask the class who used a
measuring cup to measure, and then ask if anyone started using something different. I will call
on some students to explain their initial ice cream making process. I will also select a few
students to come up to the front of the room and explain their thought processes throughout
the making. I will ask someone who used a measuring cup and measured the ingredients with
ease, someone who made a few mistakes or changes but eventually turned out with good ice
cream (they either started measuring with a beaker or cylinder and then decided a measuring
cup would be easier, OR they noticed their measurements were too much or too much little at
times- not precise, so they had to re- measure ingredients), and someone whos ice cream did
not turn out (students either used beaker and cylinders and did not realize they were labeled in
a different system of measurement - which would indicate a misconception OR students could
miscalculate measurement units in general and changed the outcome of the final product of
ice cream). I will ask them to present in that order. By then, the student that did not make
good ice cream should be able to understand and explain why his/her ice cream did not work
and what to change in the future to make a successful batch. I will ask questions such as, How
did you decide to measure in order to be as accurate as possible? When did you realize you
made a mistake? How did you fix it? Can you explain what you will do in the future so that
problem doesnt happen again?

Listen actively without evaluation.

The class will listen actively without evaluation or
judgment. While students present, I will ask who has any questions for the students.

Summarize main ideas and identify future problems.

Once the discussion is nearing an end, I
will explain that this week we will be concentrating on liquid volume and the different
measuring devices and units of measure to use when finding the liquid volume of something.
Liquid volume is important in our daily lives and we will be doing various activities in the week
to express this. I will also emphasize the importance of measuring accurately and precisely in
order for the outcome to be successful. We will also discuss the difference between liquid and
solid volume. Then, students will be asked to fill out an exit slip, which will ask them to explain
the difference between solid volume and liquid volume, as well as ask them how they would
guess gas is measured and why.
Creating a community of learners in the after phase involves 3 practices for orchestrating
productive mathematics discussions:
Selecting & Sequencing & Connecting
. In your procedure,
explain how you will use your anticipating and monitoring of student strategies to select,
sequence, and connect student strategies. Be specific and name the strategies you will select
and in what sequence, and the questions you will ask to help students connect strategies.

H.

DIFFERENTIATION

Describe how you plan to meet the needs of

all students in your classroom
with varied interests and
readiness levels by completing ONE of the six boxes below for
each day
. You may choose the same
box for each day. Use the learning progressions to support your decisions. Include a specific
differentiation plan for each day.
This connects to your During Phase Actions: providing support and extensions.

Interest

Readiness

Content

Process

Product

Thestudentswillallbemakingice
cream,buttheproductwillbedifferent
basedontheflavoroficecream
studentschoosetomakebasedontheir
interest(vanilla,chocolate,or
strawberry).

IceCreamMachines!

Chooseanicecreamflavorofyourchoice:Vanilla,Chocolate,orStrawberry

Vanilla
:

1/2cupmilk
1/2teaspoonvanilla
1tablespoonsugar
4cupscrushedice
4tablespoonssalt
2quartsizeZiplocbags
1gallonsizeZiplocfreezerbag
ahandtowel

Chocolate
:
1/2cupmilk
1/2teaspoonvanilla
1tablespoonsugar

cupUnsweetenedcocoapowder
4cupscrushedice
4tablespoonssalt
2quartsizeZiplocbags
1gallonsizeZiplocfreezerbag
ahandtowel

Strawberry
:
1/2cupmilk
1/2teaspoonvanilla
1tablespoonsugar
cupstrawberrysauce
4cupscrushedice
4tablespoonssalt
2quartsizeZiplocbags
1gallonsizeZiplocfreezerbag
ahandtowel

Directions:
1.Choosetheflavoroficecreamyouwouldliketomake.
2.Decideanappropriatemeasuringdeviceinordertomeasureyouringredients.
3.Followthedirectionstocreateyouricecream.
4.Mixthemilk,vanillaandsugartogetherinoneofthequartsizebags.(Ifchocolate,
addcocoapowder.Ifstrawberry,addstrawberrysauce).
5.Sealtightly,allowingaslittleairtoremaininthebagaspossible.Toomuchairleft
insidemayforcethebagtoopenduringshaking.
6.Placethisbaginsidetheotherquartsizebag,againleavingaslittleairinsideas
possibleandsealingwell.Bydoublebagging,theriskofsaltandiceleakingintotheice
creamisminimized.
7.Putthetwobagsinsidethegallonsizebagandfillthebagwithice,thensprinklesalt
ontop.Again,letalltheairescapeandsealthebag.
8.Wrapthebaginthetowelorputyourgloveson,andshakeandmassagethebag,
makingsuretheicesurroundsthecreammixture.Fivetoeightminutesisadequate
timeforthemixturetofreezeintoicecream.
9.Eatyouricecream!

Unit Planning Project Rationale & Reflection

Why did you choose to create this unit?

Sarah: This unit was created because measurement is emphasized in the fifth grade and it is
used in a variety of occupations and life situations. Measurement can be difficult to learn
without having enough experience working with the tools used to measure, so it is important
for teachers to remember this. When I was in elementary school, I struggled in the
measurement unit because I was forced to memorize conversions of units and had no
conceptual background to explain why I was converting. I now realize that allowing students to
engage in hands on high cognitive demand tasks to start and then progressing towards low
cognitive demand tasks is the most appropriate way to teach/learn measurement most
effectively.
Amy: I chose to create this unit because I wanted to focus on a topic that involved both math
and science and could involve some STEM integration activities. The measurement standards
for math and science are very closely aligned so it seemed like a good topic to do our unit on. I
also wanted to focus on an upper-level elementary school grade in order to be prepared for
planning units during student teaching and also because I am interested in teaching the older
grades when I get a job. Measurement is a large and important unit for 5th grade so I thought
planning a unit for it would be good exploration and practice for the future.

Why is your unit mathematically significant?

Sarah: Our unit is mathematically significant because it deals with a range in types of
measurement: comparing perimeter, area, and volume, weight and mass, and liquid volume.
Throughout this unit, students are able to explain their reasoning and support it with words,
numbers, and drawings. For example, students are able to apply concepts and solve problems
in a method that makes sense to them. They develop their understanding of mathematics
because they need to explain and provide evidence when solving. For example, when deciding
between perimeter and area problem, students need to decide whether they are finding the
distance around an object or finding the amount of space an object occupies.
Amy: This unit is mathematically significant because measurement is used in so many places in
our everyday lives and in many different career paths. I think there are a lot of topics in math
that students might have a hard time creating a bigger picture for or seeing why it is important
to learn if you dont want to do something that needs a lot of math but measurement is a topic

that can be applied to so many different things, many of which we included in our unit:
construction, designing and building a house or any building, estimating volume when
packing/moving, estimating how many things you can take if you know how much weight you
can lift, science experiments, cooking, pumping gas, etc. Understanding these basic concepts
and mastering more in depth topics within them all require a strong base of understanding the
measurement concepts explored in our unit.
Why is your unit significant/meaningful to students at the grade level you chose?
Sarah: This unit is meaningful because the students will learn and develop many new terms of
measurement this year in comparison to fourth grade. They will now learn perimeter, area, and
volume formulas. They will also measure to solve problems instead of just identifying
equivalent units. It is also meaningful because it coincides with a lot of geometry
understandings, which the students will learn after the measurement unit. Students must have
a grasp of conceptual understanding in measurement in order to succeed in geometry and vice
versa. According to the standards of learning, these skills are developmentally appropriate for
the fifth grade level and will prepare them for middle school measurement.
Amy: This unit is meaningful to students in 5th grade because it greatly expands on the
knowledge they gained in fourth grade and prepares them for what they will learn in 6th. 5th
grade puts a large focus on volume so the students go from just exploring perimeter and area
to adding volume and making connections between the three measurements. They also put
more emphasis on formulas, which allows the students to build on their procedural fluency of
the topics and be more prepared to find solid and liquid volume of different shaped
polyhedrons. This is also meaningful because in 6th grade they will focus a lot of volume and
surface area and the relationship between them.
As a result of planning this unit, what have you learned or had reinforced about young
children as learners of mathematics?
Sarah: As a result of planning this unit, I have learned that children as learners of mathematics
must first have time to be engaged and work with hands on activities before building strategic
competence and then procedural fluency of a topic. For example, with liquid volume, students
should have time to use the measuring devices and manipulate tools before they can memorize
conversions. When learning weight and mass, they should have a balance scale. Students
should have the opportunity to complete competitive games or situations that not only involve
them as learners, but also keep them interested in the topic.

Amy: Planning this unit has reinforced how necessary it is for students to be met at different
levels in every topic of mathematics. Students will not always (not usually, even) be on the
same level of understanding within the unit you are teaching. In terms of measurement, some
students may need more concrete or visual representations to build understandings, whereas
some students may be more abstract thinkers. Also, some students may need to see how
something works, some may need to hear how to do something, and some may need to
practice a concept in multiple different ways. This does not mean that a student is less capable
of mastering a specific topic or unit, it just means that they may need more
materials/time/explanation than another student.
As a result of planning this unit, what have you learned or had reinforced about teaching?
Sarah: As a result of this unit, I have learned that teaching requires a great deal of preparation
and organization when planning a unit. Knowing your students is essential to creating
interesting and engaging learning experiences for the students to learn the measurement unit,
or any unit being taught. When students are a part of their learning, their attention will be
more focused and create a safe learning environment for the student and teacher. For
individual lessons, I have been reinforced the idea that teachers need to always plan extension
activities for students that will hold their attention while the rest of the class finishes the main
activity.
Amy: Going off of my response to the last question, planning this unit has reinforced the
importance of offering multiple different activities or versions of activities in order to meet the
needs of the students. One facet of this that I really focused on when planning the scope and
sequence was guided math groups because I think it is a vital part of differentiation and can be
very beneficial to helping certain students either move up a learning progression or a process
progression. This unit reinforced the idea that a lot of math instruction is not whole group. Of
course there will always be whole group activities because students should be able to engage in
discussions, share ideas, and build conceptual understanding as a class, but in order to
differentiate there will often be different group activities and guided math group time.
As a result of planning this unit, what have you learned or had reinforced about yourself?

Sarah: As a result of planning this unit, I have learned that the way I was taught in school is not
the most appropriate structure for learning mathematics. Now, I have learned that when
learning is student-centered, they are able to reach the answers themselves and justify through
reasoning and explanation, which gives them a deeper level of understanding of the concept.
As a future teacher, I have learned I will continue to be challenged to implement this type of

instruction in the classroom. Working with other colleagues and hearing others strategies and
suggestions will continue to be helpful to me during unit planning.
Amy: As simple as it sounds, planning this unit has shown me that I can actually plan a full
five-week unit on my own. We have never had to plan an entire unit before this class and it is a
skill that I think we should be confident in before student teaching. Of course, this plan was
focused on one subject and in a real classroom there will be conflicts and interruptions that
come up and need to be changed or accounted for but being able to come up with a basic
outline and multiple different lesson ideas that can be differentiated in many ways made me
more confident in my ability to plan as a student teacher.
How did your experience planning this unit impact your progress toward your SMART goal?

Sarah: This unit helped me to reach my SMART goal because we were required to create a
formative pre- assessment that the students would complete in order for the teacher to assess
the students current knowledge, misconceptions and have an idea of how to instruct lessons
for the remainder of the measurement unit. The lesson plans we created were also reflective of
a formative assessment plan because the teacher was able to assess each individuals
understanding of the content either through conferences, observation checklists, work
samples, or an exit slip in order to gauge every students level of understanding with the
content.
Amy: My SMART goal involved integrating other subjects into math so choosing this unit to
meet STEAM requirements was very beneficial. I have included the entire unit in my portfolio
because the standards involve both math and science and I also highlighted lessons within our
scope and sequence that include additional science topics. It was also helpful when researching
activity ideas for our sequence and lesson plans because if I came across another activity that
was cross-curricular I just added it to my portfolio.
How did your experience planning this unit compare to your Appetizer reflection?
Sarah: The planning of this unit compares to the appetizer reflection because the activities that
were chosen emphasize a constructivist approach to learning. Whenever possible, the learning
experiences in the classroom had the students engaged and active. Many of the lessons involve
connections from school to the outside world to enhance students understanding of
mathematical concepts applied to daily life activities. Giving students choice in activities and
differentiating based on readiness or interest is also a beneficial method for a math classroom
so students are learning at their developmentally appropriate levels. Giving students multiple
opportunities to interact with their learning environment is an effective teaching strategy
because it allows the students to do their own learning and apply it to their lives.

Amy: My appetizer reflection focused on my teaching philosophy and inquiry, experience, and
application and I think planning this unit involved all of those things. Measurement can be
effectively taught through inquiry, experience, and application and I think that the objectives,
assessments, and activities we created for this lesson embody that. Also, I think that my
personal learning included those three facets while planning this unit. Using research and
asking my own questions about the process and specific parts of the unit required me to learn
through inquiry, my lack of experience in unit planning but my experience in lesson planning
added to my learning, and my ability to apply this activity to the real world (teaching in the
future) and other assignments allowed me to understand the importance of this assignment
and put the time and effort in to it that it required.