Capacity (or volume) provides an engaging area of measurement for young mathematicians to explore. If you’re looking for a simple activity for comparing capacity, try Capacity Sort.
All you need are: 3-5 labeled containers of different sizes and shapes (label one of the containers as your target) dry beans, paper cup, signs reading HOLDS MORE THAN, HOLDS LESS THAN, HOLDS ABOUT THE SAME
Instructions: Look at the containers. One container is marked with the word “target.” Your job is to sort the containers into three groups: HOLDS MORE THAN, HOLDS LESS THAN, or HOLDS ABOUT THE SAME amount as the target container.
First make a guess about how you would sort the containers. Then check your guesses by using the cup to fill the target container with dry beans. How many scoops did the target container hold? Finally, count the scoops it takes to fill each of the other containers. Were your guesses correct?
Or you can just pour the beans from the target container into each other container, in turn. This makes the comparison independent from counting. Knox chose this strategy in the video, and it worked out great!
If you want more fun math ideas that build math-positive mindsets, check out my webpage
https://www.carriecutler.com/ or my new book Math-Positive Mindsets: Growing a Child's Mind without Losing Yours (available on Amazon).
