Lesson 14
Weight and Capacity Measurements
Lesson Purpose
The purpose of this lesson is for students to apply their understanding of multiplicative comparison and unit conversion to solve multi-step problems about weight and capacity.
Lesson Narrative
In earlier lessons, students were introduced to several units of weight and capacity (kilograms, grams, pounds, ounces, liters, and milliliters). In this lesson, students solve problems involving the units of capacity they worked with in grade 3. They use their knowledge of unit conversion and multiplicative reasoning to solve multi-step problems. Students may need to review the measurement units used in this lesson before the lesson to ensure access to the tasks.
- Representation
- MLR8
Learning Goals
Teacher Facing
- Use multiplicative comparison and unit conversion to solve multi-step problems about weight and capacity (in pounds, ounces, gallons, quarts, and cups).
Student Facing
- Let’s solve problems about weight and capacity.
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Required Preparation
Activity 1:
- Gather a one-gallon jug (with or without milk), a one-quart container, and a one-cup container for display during the launch.
- On chart paper, create the table in the activity with an extra column for showing the amounts of lassi in cups, to be displayed during synthesis.
Lesson Timeline
| Warm-up | 10 min |
| Activity 1 | 20 min |
| Activity 2 | 15 min |
| Lesson Synthesis | 10 min |
| Cool-down | 5 min |
Teacher Reflection Questions
The multi-step problems in this lesson require students to carefully make sense of both textual and mathematical information. How did students manage the language demands of those problems? Which types of problems seem to be particularly challenging? What supports or modifications might be needed?
Suggested Centers
- Can You Draw It? (1–5), Stage 4: Area and Perimeter (Supporting)
- Rectangle Rumble (3–5), Stage 3: Factors 1–10 (Supporting)