Lesson Plan #6: Volume of Structures

Lesson Overview: In this lesson students will take what they learned from finding the area of the
robots and apply it to finding volume of structures that are made of more than one rectangular
prism.
Resources or Materials Needed:
Volume of L Blocks Worksheet: http://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/volume.php
Lesson 6 Exit Ticket
Performance Objective:
Students will be able to calculate the volume of two or more rectangular prisms by using the
formula for volume with 70% accuracy.
Time: 60 minutes
Step 1: Pre-Instructional Activities
Pass back Lesson 5 Exit Tickets with any feedback written on them. Review what volume is and
the formula used to find it. Discuss how students were able to find the total volume of the robots
from yesterdays lesson.
Step 2: Content Presentation
Teacher: Today we will be looking at different structures that consist of more than one
rectangular prisms and you will be asked to find the volume of the whole structure. Thinking
about what we did yesterday with the robots, what do you think you could do to find the total
volume of a structure consisting of more than one rectangular prism?
Student: Find the volume of each of the different prisms that make up the structure and add them
together.
T: Using that strategy, lets look at the following structure and figure out the volume together.

T: Whats the first step we need to take to be able to get the volume of these two rectangular
prisms to add together? What do we need for the formula to work?
S: Length, width, and height of each.
T: Yes, with your neighbor, I want you to try and write down the length, width, and height of
each prism. Turn and Talk. Lets start with the lower rectangular prism. What is the length?
S: 18 units
T: Width?
S: 6 units
T: Height?
S: 4 units
T: Go ahead and calculate the volume for the bottom rectangular prism. Now lets look at the
dimensions of the rectangular prism on the top. Height?
S: 14 units
T: Width?
S: Same as the bottom box, 6 units
T: Length? Give students time to think and discuss what they believe the length is.
S: You have to take the 18 units and minus off the 12 units to find the length. So the length is 6
units.

T: Yes, you will have to use strategies sometimes to find the dimensions that are not clearly
labeled. Just know that every structure can be solved, you just have to be an investigator to figure
out some of the dimensions. Make sure you look at every line and which lines are the same as
others. Now find the volume of the second rectangular prism and then you can find the total
volume by adding them together. (Students should come up with 852 units.)
T: Now work with a partner to find the volume of the structure below. (Students should come up
with 24,000mm)

Step 3: Learner Participation

Pass out Volume of L Blocks, which you can find at
http://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/volume.php.
Give students time to complete with partners or small groups.
Step 4: Assessment
Formative Assessment: Students independently complete Lesson 6 Exit Ticket.
Step 5: Follow-Through Activities
Intervention: Pull students with misunderstandings on the Exit Ticket the following day prior to
Lesson 7 instruction.