Florida B.E.S.T. MA.5.GR.3.1
The Standard
Explore volume as an attribute of three-dimensional figures by packing them with unit cubes without gaps. Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with whole-number side lengths by counting unit cubes.
Florida B.E.S.T. Standards for Mathematics
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students fill box-shaped prisms with equal-sized cubes and determine how many cubes fit. They connect the cubes in each layer and the number of layers to the total volume.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a cube model or dimensions, a student can find the cubes in one layer and use the number of layers to find the total. The student labels the answer in cubic units and explains why there are no gaps.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may count only the visible cubes or leave gaps when building a prism. They may add the side lengths instead of counting cubes in layers. Some confuse volume with surface area or omit cubic units.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A prism is 4 cubes long, 3 cubes wide, and 2 cubes high. Draw or describe its layers, then find its volume in cubic units.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs 24 linking cubes and ask them to build every different right rectangular prism possible, then record each prism’s dimensions and volume.
Show a partly hidden cube prism and ask students to explain how they can count cubes they cannot see using complete layers.
Play Volume Match with cards showing prism pictures, dimensions, layer counts, and volumes, with students grouping four cards that represent the same prism.
Measure a small shipping box in whole inches, then use inch-cube models or drawings to determine how many cubic inches it holds.
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Printable MA.5.GR.3.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to MA.5.GR.3.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- MA.912.GR.4.5
Solve mathematical and real-world problems involving the volume of three-dimensional figures limited to cylinders, pyramids, prisms, cones and spheres.
- MA.5.GR.3
Solve problems involving the volume of right rectangular prisms.
- MA.5.GR.3.2
Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with whole-number side lengths using a visual model and a formula.
- MA.5.GR.3.3
Solve real-world problems involving the volume of right rectangular prisms, including problems with an unknown edge length, with whole-number edge lengths using...
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