Lesson 9

Compare Capacity

Warm-up: Choral Count: Count by 10 (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is for students to count by 10 to 100. Although students see the written sequence of numbers, they are not required to identify numbers beyond 20 until Grade 1.

Launch

  • Display numbers from 1 to 100.
  • “Let’s count to 100.”
  • Point to the numbers as students count to 100.

Activity

  • “Now let’s count to 100 by 10.”
  • Demonstrate counting by 10 to 100, pointing to each number as you count.
  • “Let’s all count to 100 by 10.”
  • Have students repeat the count multiple times.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “Take turns counting to 100 by 10 with your partner.”

Activity 1: Capacity of Cups (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to think about and compare the capacities of containers. Students start by comparing two containers where it is visually obvious which one holds more. They use comparison language such as “The pitcher holds more than the cup.” Then, students consider containers that have capacities that are not easy to compare visually and they brainstorm ways to compare the capacities of the containers. Students may need to see the water poured between the two containers multiple times before they determine and can explain which container has more capacity. As students make predictions and then discuss and justify their comparisons, they share a mathematical claim and the thinking behind it (MP3).

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Use multimodal examples to clarify what it means for a container to hold liquid. Use verbal descriptions along with gestures or drawings to show the meaning of the word hold in this context.
Advances: Listening, Representing

Required Materials

Required Preparation

  • Gather a larger pitcher and a small cup to display during the launch.
  • Gather 2 cups with capacities that are not easy to compare visually, such as a tall stemmed glass and a short, wide cup for the activity.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display a pitcher and a small cup.
  • “Diego’s class needs a lot of lemonade for a lemonade sale they are going to have at school. Which container do you think they should use to hold the lemonade? Why do you think that?” (The pitcher holds more lemonade because it is bigger. The cup is small.)
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share responses.
  • “We think that the pitcher will hold more lemonade.”

Activity

  • Display 2 cups and give each student a sticky note.
  • “Which of these cups do you think would hold more lemonade? Put your sticky note by the cup that you think would hold more lemonade.”
  • 3 minutes: independent work time
  • “People had different answers about which cup would hold more lemonade. What can we do to figure out which cup can hold more lemonade?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.
  • Demonstrate filling one of the cups with water and then slowly pour that water into the other cup.
  • “I filled up the red cup and poured the same water into the blue cup, but the blue cup overflowed. Which cup do you think can hold more lemonade?”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share responses.
  • “The red cup can hold more lemonade than the blue cup.”

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “We can use water to help us figure out which cup can hold more lemonade.”

Activity 2: Which Cup Can Hold More Water? (15 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this task is for students to compare the capacities of two containers where the comparison is not easy to see visually. Students experiment with filling containers with water to determine which has a greater capacity. Each group of students needs two cups or containers that they can compare the capacities of, a container of water, and a plastic or foil tray to catch any water that spills. Students can also use small paper cups to fill up the containers. This activity can also be completed outside or at a water table. There are multiple ways that students can compare the capacities of the containers, including by pouring water from one container to the other and seeing if the water overflows or if there is room left over or by counting how many small cups it takes to fill up each container (MP7).

Engagement: Develop Effort and Persistence. Invite students to generate a list of shared expectations for group work. Ask students to share explicit examples of what those expectations would look like in this activity.
Supports accessibility for: Social-Emotional Functioning

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

  • Each group of 4 students needs 2 cups or containers that are not easy to compare the capacity visually, such as a short, wide container and a tall, thin container.
  • Each group of 4 students needs 1 small paper cup, a container filled with water, and a plastic or foil tray.

Launch

  • Groups of 4
  • Give each group of students two cups or containers, a container of water, a small paper cup, and a plastic or foil tray.
  • “Elena likes to drink lots of water after dance class. She’s trying to figure out which cup to use. Which cup holds more water? Work with your group to figure it out.”

Activity

  • 8 minutes: small-group work time
  • Monitor for students who compare the capacities in different ways.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite each group of students to share how they compared the capacities of the cups with the class. As each group shares, ask:
    • “Which cup holds more water?”
    • “Which cup holds less water?”
    • “Tell your partner about the cups using the word ‘less.’”

Activity 3: Centers: Choice Time (20 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

  • Counting Collections
  • Match Mine
  • Shake and Spill

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Required Preparation

  • Gather materials from: 
    • Counting Collections, Stage 1
    • Match Mine, Stage 1
    • Shake and Spill, Stages 1-4

Launch

  • “Today we are going to choose from centers we have already learned.”
  • Display the center choices in the student book.
  • “Think about what you would like to do first.”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time

Activity

  • Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
  • 8 minutes: center work time
  • “Choose what you would like to do next.”
  • 8 minutes: center work time

Student Facing

Choose a center.

Counting Collections

Center. Counting Collections.

Match Mine

Center. Match Mine.

Shake and Spill

Center. Shake and Spill.

Activity Synthesis

  • “Where can you find any materials that you need to play Match Mine? Where do the materials go when you are finished playing?”

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we figured out which container would hold more water.”

Display a variety of containers used throughout the lesson.

“Tell your partner about the shapes of the containers.” (The glass looks like a cylinder. The cup has a circle on top.)

Cool-down: Unit 7, Section B Checkpoint (0 minutes)

Cool-Down

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