Mississippi Math ATM.MD.9

MathGrades 9–12Statistics and Probability

The Standard

Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement wherein a solid figure which can be packed without gaps or overlaps using n unit cubes is said to have a volume of n cubic units.

2025 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Mathematics · Measurement and Data

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do: Students fill a solid with equal-sized unit cubes, leaving no gaps or overlaps. They count all the cubes and give the volume in cubic units.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can count all 12 cubes in a 2 by 2 by 3 block, including hidden cubes, and report 12 cubic units. They can explain why gaps or overlaps would make the count wrong.
Common Misconceptions: Students may count only the cubes they can see or count square faces instead of cubes. They may use square units for volume or assume a partly filled solid is full.
How to Assess It: On an exit ticket, draw a 2 by 2 by 3 stack of unit cubes and ask students to give its volume in cubic units and explain how they counted hidden cubes.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs 12 snap cubes to build a 2 by 2 by 3 block, then count every cube and state its volume.
Ask students to write why a 2 by 2 by 3 stack and a 1 by 3 by 4 stack have the same volume.
Run a cube-count relay with sketches of 2 by 2 by 2 and 2 by 3 by 2 blocks; teams write volumes.
Draw a gift box with inside dimensions 3 cm by 2 cm by 2 cm; ask how many 1-centimeter cubes fit.

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