LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Cylinders and scale

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=250

A lesson plan for Grades 3–5 Mathematics

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

About this resource

Appropriate grades
3–5
Subjects
mathematics (geometry, measurement), thinking skills (information literacy)
Provider
American Association for the Advancement of Science

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In this lesson, students learn about the extreme limits of scale. This lesson is designed to build upon students' ability to build structures and to learn about mathematical and engineering relationships like length, area, and volume. Once students have reviewed cylinders and their practical uses, they discuss volume measurement. Then, using directions from the Exploratorium website, students construct cylinders on various scales. After completing the activity, students discuss the project and try to imagine how their cylinders would differ with other units of measurement. Science NetLinks provides student handouts, teacher resources, links to necessary web resources, and directions for completing the activity. This lesson also contains links to similar lessons from Science NetLinks, Illuminations, and Nye Labs.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 2: Measurement - The learner will recognize and use standard units of metric and customary measurement.
    • Objective 2.02: Estimate and measure using appropriate units.
      • Capacity (cups, pints, quarts, gallons, liters).
      • Length (miles, kilometers).
      • Mass (ounces, pounds, grams, kilograms).
      • Temperature (Fahrenheit, Celsius).
  • Goal 3: Geometry - The learner will recognize and use basic geometric properties of two- and three-dimensional figures.
    • Objective 3.01: Use appropriate vocabulary to compare, describe, and classify two- and three-dimensional figures.

Grade 4

  • Goal 5: Algebra - The learner will demonstrate an understanding of mathematical relationships.
    • Objective 5.02: Translate among symbolic, numeric, verbal, and pictorial representations of number relationships.