Maryland Math 5.GR.C.4
The Standard
Identify volume as an attribute of three-dimensional figures and measure volume by counting cubic units (e.g., non-standard equal-sized units, cubic centimeters, cubic inches, and cubic feet) that fill a figure without gaps or overlaps.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · UNDERSTAND CONCEPTS OF VOLUME AND RELATE VOLUME TO MULTIPLICATION.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students fill solid figures with equal-sized cubes and count every cube, including hidden ones. They check that the cubes leave no gaps or overlaps. They give the volume in cubic units.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can count the cubes in each layer of a filled box and find the total. They name the unit, such as cubic inches, and explain why all the cubes must be the same size.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may count only the cubes they can see and miss those inside the figure. They may give square units instead of cubic units, or count different-sized blocks as equal units.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A solid box has 3 layers of unit cubes, with 2 rows of 4 cubes in each layer. How many cubic units fill it, and why do hidden cubes count?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Use 12 equal wooden cubes to build a 2-by-3-by-2 solid, then separate the layers and count every cube.
Draw two boxes holding 8 cubes each, one with 1-inch cubes and one with 2-inch cubes; ask why their volumes differ.
Play Hidden Cubes: draw a 2-by-3-by-3 unit-cube stack and have partners count all 18 cubes, including those out of sight.
Show a shipping box with inside dimensions of 2 by 3 by 4 inches; ask how many 1-inch cubes would fill it.
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Printable 5.GR.C.4 Worksheet
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