Unit Plan 26 (Grade 5 Math): Measurement + Volume Integrated Tasks
5th graders solve real-world packing and filling problems by converting units and applying V = l × w × h or V = B × h. They choose when to convert, track units clearly, and justify answers with labeled volume and reasonableness checks.
Focus: Blend unit conversions with volume contexts (packing, filling, building) and communicate with units clearly in multi-step problems.
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: Mathematics (Measurement & Data)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students connect measurement conversions within a system (metric/U.S. customary) to volume reasoning with unit cubes and rectangular prisms. They plan packing, filling, and building tasks that require choosing appropriate units, converting before/after calculating, and justifying answers with labeled units and checks for reasonableness.
Essential Questions
- When should I convert units before calculating, and when should I convert after?
- How do V = l × w × h and V = B × h help me reason about packing and filling problems?
- What does it look like to communicate with units so anyone can follow my math?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Convert among like units within a system (e.g., m ↔ cm, kg ↔ g, L ↔ mL) using conversion factors and unit tracking.
- Compute and explain volume of right rectangular prisms using V = l × w × h and V = B × h in cubic units.
- Solve multi-step packing/filling/building problems that blend conversions and volume; decide whether to convert inputs or outputs.
- Check reasonableness by estimating and by verifying units at each step.
- Communicate solutions with labeled diagrams, clear units, and concise justification.
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 5
- 5.MD.1: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given system and use conversions in solving multi-step real-world problems.
- 5.MD.5 (a–c): Relate volume to operations of multiplication and addition; find volume of right rectangular prisms using unit cubes, V = l × w × h, V = B × h; solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can pick a conversion factor, set it up, and track units so the units I don’t want cancel.
- I can find volume in cubic units with V = l × w × h or V = B × h and explain what each number means.
- I can decide to convert first or convert last and explain why.
- I can label my work with correct units and check if my answer is reasonable.