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

Newspaper basket

Students use measurement skills to create a basket and respond to questions involving fractions, decimals, and geometric measurements.

A lesson plan for grade 6 Mathematics

By Susan Jennings

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Learning outcomes

The student will:

  • model and name fractions when folding newspaper strips.
  • determine perimeter and area of various parts of the basket.
  • restate measures given in decimals to fractions or vice versa.
  • determine the volume of the basket.
  • predict the volume of the basket if the newspaper strips were half the original and state reasons for their conclusions.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 Days

Materials/resources

  • scissors
  • glue
  • tape and/or stapler
  • 13 sheets of newspaper for each child
  • craft or tempera paint and brushes
  • rulers

Pre-activities

Students need to know how to read a ruler in both centimeters and inches. Knowledge of the concepts of volume and area is also very helpful and can be reinforced with this activity.

Activities

Depending upon the ability of the students to read and follow directions, this activity can be presented in two ways. It can be a whole group project with you leading each step of the basket making and helping students respond to the questions. Or it can be an independent project for the more capable student. Refer to the Making a Newspaper Basket attachment. The guide can be printed and distributed to each student or group of students.

Assessment

Student response to the 25 questions in the activity guide are used for assessment.

Supplemental information

Attachments:

Comments

This activity works well on those before Christmas or spring break days. The students have a finished product to take home and use for the holidays.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 6

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.02: Develop meaning for percents.
      • Connect the model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Make estimates in appropriate situations.
    • Objective 1.03: Compare and order rational numbers.
  • Goal 2: Measurement - The learner will select and use appropriate tools to measure two- and three-dimensional figures.
    • Objective 2.01: Estimate and measure length, perimeter, area, angles, weight, and mass of two- and three-dimensional figures, using appropriate tools.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Grade 5

        • Measurement & Data
          • 5.MD.3Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement.

      • Grade 6

        • Geometry
          • 6.G.2Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with fractional edge lengths by packing it with unit cubes of the appropriate unit fraction edge lengths, and show that the volume is the same as would be found by multiplying the edge lengths of the prism....