Lesson 7

Estimating the Volume of the World’s Largest Wagon

Lesson Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for students to solve problems involving volume. Students multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers using the algorithms learned in the previous sections.

Lesson Narrative

The purpose of this lesson is to make an estimate of the volume of the world's largest toy wagon based on an image. In order to make reasoned estimates for the length, width, and height of the wagon students will need to:

  • choose an appropriate unit of measure so that the estimates are whole numbers of the right size to visualize
  • use the people in the wagon which are the one point of reference allowing to make an accurate estimate of the length, width, and height of the wagon

When students choose an appropriate unit of measure and use the picture to reason about the length, width, and height of the wagon, they are applying abstract mathematical reasoning to make conclusions about a real world object that they most likely have not actually seen (MP4).

For actual images of the wagon, search “World’s Largest Toy Wagon 2019.”

  • Engagement
  • MLR7

Learning Goals

Teacher Facing

  • Multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers.
  • Solve problems involving volume.

Student Facing

  • Let’s solve problems about volume.

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

CCSS Standards

Addressing

Lesson Timeline

Warm-up 10 min
Activity 1 15 min
Activity 2 20 min
Lesson Synthesis 10 min
Cool-down 5 min

Teacher Reflection Questions

As students worked in their small groups today, whose ideas were heard, valued, and accepted? How can you adjust the group structure tomorrow to ensure each student’s ideas are part of the collective learning?

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