Volume of Cube Models

Tell students that they are going to work in a small group to write number sentences for some of the buildings the class made. Show the display of the Chicago Skyline Master or a photograph of a skyline of Chicago, New York, or another major city. Tell students that a skyline is the outline of buildings as seen against the sky.

After students have finished sharing their observations, tell them that they will be working in a group to create an interesting skyline with some of the cube model buildings that they made and that they will use number sentences to make a record of the buildings they use.

Divide students into groups of 4 or 5, giving each group a large sheet of paper and each student in the group one of the cube models. Make sure that each group receives buildings that represent different shapes or heights. Ask each group to arrange their buildings on their sheet of paper to make an interesting skyline. After students have arranged their buildings ask them to write a number sentence under each building to describe its volume.

Once all groups have finished their skylines and number sentences, ask each group to share its work. If possible, provide a place to display their work.