LEARN NC

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

Does One Cup of Everything Weigh the Same?

The student will predict whether one cup of everything weighs the same. Next, the student will estimate the mass of several cups of materials. Then, using a primer balance the student will find the actual mass of each cup of materials in grams. The students will order the cups from lightest to heaviest by mass.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Mathematics

By Christy Bunch

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • predict whether or not one cup of everything weighs the same.
  • estimate the mass of eight cups of materials in grams.
  • use a primer balance and gram stackers to find the mass of each cup of items.
  • calculate the difference between their estimated mass and the actual mass of each cup of materials.
  • order the cups of materials by mass.
  • complete a learning log that describes and explains what he/she discovered in this lesson.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

60 minutes

Materials/resources

  • 5 Primer Balances
  • Gram Stackers
  • Access to water
  • 8 paper cups--Fill each cup with one of the following materials: paper clips, plastic teddy bears, scraps of construction paper, centimeter cubes, water, dice, rocks, and connecting cubes.
  • Notebook Paper/Pencil
  • Chalkboard/Chalk

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

  • Students have knowledge of the standard units of metric measure for finding mass.
  • Students should have prior knowledge on how to align the primer balance. They should have used the primer balance and gram stackers in previous activities.
  • Review grams. Pass around 1g, 5g, 10g, 20g, and 50g stackers. Allow students to feel these in their hands.

Activities

  1. The class should be divided into five groups. Each group needs a primer balance and a box of gram stackers.
  2. The teacher should have all eight cups of materials on a table or in a central location. List each cup on the board and hold it up for students to view. Students should record the eight cups of materials on their notebook paper.
  3. Individually, students should predict whether one cup of everything weighs the same. They should record their prediction on notebook paper.
  4. Each group should begin with one cup of materials. Individually, each student should estimate the mass of the cup in grams and record it on his/her paper. Next, as a group the students should find the actual mass of the cup of materials in grams. Then, the students should record the actual mass in grams on their paper. Individually, each student should calculate the difference between the estimated and actual mass of the cup.
  5. Students should continue the above steps until they have estimated and measured all eight cups and recorded their results.

Assessment

  1. Students will copy and complete the following learning log on their paper:
    • Was my prediction correct?
    • Does one cup of everything weigh the same?
    • Record the cups of materials in order from lightest to heaviest.
    • Write a few sentences describing what you did in math today.
  2. Students will share their learning logs with the class.
  3. The teacher will look over each student’s recordings of mass.
  4. The teacher will check each student’s difference in mass for accuracy.

Supplemental information

Math textbook for background knowledge of the metric units for finding mass.

Listing the following chart on the board prior to the activity may be beneficial for students:

Materials / Estimated Mass / Actual Mass / Difference
1.paper clips
2.teddy bears
3.construction paper
4.centimeter cubes
5.water
6.dice
7.rocks
8.connecting cubes

Related websites

N/A

Comments

My students love this activity!! It is a great lesson to explore mass with the metric system.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for rational numbers 0.01 through 99,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (hundredths through ten thousands).
      • Compare and order rational numbers.
      • Make estimates of rational numbers in appropriate situations.
    • Objective 1.05: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.