In previous lessons, students used unit cubes with a side length of 1 unit to determine the volumes of right rectangular prisms. In this lesson, the units are now a specific unit of measure. In grade 5, students use words, not exponents, when recording the  cubic unit of measure, such as “centímetros (cm) cúbicos” // “cubic centimeters (cm),” “pies (ft) cúbicos” // “cubic inches (in)” or “pulgadas (in) cúbicas” // “cubic feet (ft).” Exponents in grade 5 are limited to powers of 10, which will be addressed in a later unit.

In this lesson, students distinguish between different standard unit measures of volume. They examine the distinction between cubic centimeters, cubic inches, and cubic feet. Throughout the lesson, students share their rationale for choosing a unit to measure specific real-world objects and learn the importance of identifying the unit of measure when finding the volume of an object (MP6).

This lesson has a Student Section Summary.

During today's lesson, students described which standard cubic unit they would use to measure the volumes of objects that are shaped like rectangular prisms. Consider which objects students see on a regular basis in their communities that are shaped like rectangular prisms. How did you incorporate these objects into the lesson to help students connect their lived experience with their developing math identity?  How can you incorporate these objects into future lessons?