i

CONCRETE-REPRESENTATIONAL-ABSTRACT SEQUENCED
INSTRUCTION ON LEARNERS’ ACQUISITION OF THE
VOLUME OF SOLIDS

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Course The Research Process

By
Felicito, Jr. N. Badion
f_badion@yahoo.com
09292541926
ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………….................i
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….……………….ii
CHAPTER I: Rationale and Background of the Study
Introduction……………………………………………………………….......................3
Theoretical Background…………………………………………………………….………..3
Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………….………….5
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………….…………….6
Significance of the Study………………………………………………………….…………7
Definition of Terms……………………………………………………………………………..7
CHAPTER II
Review of Related Literature……………………………………………….………………9
CHAPTER III: Methodology
Research Design…………………………………………………………..…….…….........13
Ethical Considerations ……………………………………………………………….………14
Research Locale and Participant…………………………………………………….….14
Sampling Design………………………………………………………………………………..15
Research Instrument………………………………………………………………………...16
Research Procedure……………………………………………………………………………17
Statistical Treatment………………………………………………………………………….17
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………..18
APPENDICES
Test Questionnaire……………………………………………………………………………..19
Table of Specifications………………………………………..…………….……………….23
Lesson Plan………………………………………………………………………………………….24
1

CHAPTER I
RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is an integral part of our lives and its place in the life of

any nation cannot be overemphasized because it is tied with the nations’

development. According to Betiku (2001), Science, Technology and

Mathematics Education (STME) has been considered as the index of measuring

the nation’s socio-economic and geo-political development. Mathematics is

indeed essential in almost every field: measurement in culinary arts and

fashion industry, angles in sports, designs using patterns and golden ratio,

economics, etc. The importance of Mathematics is evident in the educational

system in the Philippines as it is one of the core subjects offered to students

until the tertiary level of education. This compulsory nature of mathematics

attests that the knowledge of the subject is essential to all the members of

the society.

Despite the relative importance of Mathematics, it is very disappointing

to note that the performance of students in the said subject is considerably

low. This low understanding level accompanied by preconceived notion of

students in Mathematics has become a cause of great concern of our country.

There is a range of factors that adversely affect the students’ ability to

understand and apply mathematical concepts. Mathematics educators have

2

put on their efforts to identify the major problems associated with the teaching

and learning of Mathematics.

The study of Leongson (2003) revealed that Filipino students excel in

knowledge acquisition but fare considerably low in concepts requiring higher

order thinking skills. This condition is clearly shown in the performance of

students in national and international examinations in Mathematics and

Science competencies. The Third International Mathematical Science Study

(TIMSS, 2000) studied patterns of student performance in Mathematics and

found out that the effectiveness of the school and teachers competency

greatly influenced the quality of students’ learning.

Statistics have shown difficulty in learning mathematics, particularly in

the field of geometry (Amazigo, 2000). This condition has resulted to mass

failure in several mathematical examinations and the trend of student’s

performance has been on the decline.

Geometry is a branch of mathematics which deals with the study of the

properties of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. It involves a

physical situation which demands the use of physical facilities such as models

or manipulatives to have a better grasp of the concepts in the said subject

area. This idea puts the effectiveness of the traditional method of teaching in

question.
3

According to Candido (2000), traditional method is a mere memorization

of lessons or recitation sessions and is believed to be inadequate in preparing

students for the future in a fast changing world when information acquired

becomes readily obsolete and forgotten due to non-usability.

Terry Anstrom (2006), on the other hand, cited in his research that

students who use concrete materials develop more precise and more

comprehensive mental representations, often show more motivation and on-

task behavior, understand mathematical idea and better these ideas to life

situations. He stated that "students are more apt to gain and retain an

understanding of math concepts when they are taught using Concrete-

Representational-Abstract (CRA) strategy.

This research will examine the topics in the geometry such as the

properties and the volume of a circular cylinder and a rectangular prism. We

will see how CRA can affect students’ acquisition on the volume of solid

figures.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This study is anchored on the different theories and concepts.

According to Hartshorn and Boren (1990), one way to strengthen

students' understanding of mathematics is the use of manipulative. The

4

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has also encouraged the

use of concrete models at all levels.

According to Piaget's theory, the cognitive development starts with the

use of physical actions to form schemes, followed by the use of symbols.

Piaget emphasized that learning involve both physical actions and symbolic

models of the ideas to be learned.

Bruner support Piaget's findings. Bruner described three ways of

knowing: inactive, iconic, and symbolic. He said that a growing human being

acts towards his or her environment through direct actions, imagery, and

language.

According to Van Heiles, the learner cannot achieve a higher level of

thinking without having passed the previous level. Instructional experiences

at each level are essential for effective progress.

The model of instruction that goes from concrete to abstract is widely

accepted by scholars and teachers. The gap between concrete and abstract

functioning is considered as a continuum (Hedden, 1986). She stated that

bridging this gap results from the process of internalization. Students build on

way concrete experiences and develop mathematical concepts at the abstract-

symbolic level. The role of the teacher is to provide activities involving many

concrete experiences to help students make this transition. This teacher is

 5

also responsible for selecting appropriate models, organizing classroom

environment and planning for successful use of models.

Moreover, the law of effect which is one of the major laws of Edward

Thorndike's theory of connectionism, emerged on this study. This law states

that a satisfying state of affairs following the response strengthens the

connection between the stimulus and the behavior, whereas an annoying state

weakens the connection. Thus, a person tends to repeat what has previously

been satisfying and to avoid what has been unsatisfying or annoying. In the

classroom situation, this law implies that teaching should attempt to make the

learning experiences of student pleasant and gratifying so that they will like

to continue learning.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In this research, we verified which among the two methods of teaching,

traditional way of teaching/lecture-discussion and concrete-representational-

abstract strategy, would enhance learning more.

The framework below explains the schematic presentation of the study.

Entry Behavior Teaching Effectiveness

Methods of Teaching
Pre-test Post test
● CRA strategy (Experimental)
● Control Group ● Control Group
● Traditional Method (Control)
● Experimental Group ● Experimental Group

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

6

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study sought to find out the effectiveness of CRA strategy in

teaching the properties and volumes of rectangular prism and circular

cylinder.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the following:

1. What is the prior knowledge level of the students before they were

exposed to the intervention?

2. Is there a significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test

scores of the students in:

i. the control group

ii. the experimental group

3. Is there a significant difference in the achievement of the experimental

and control group after intervention?

NULL HYPOTHESIS

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significance level:

1. There is no significant difference between the pre-test score of the

experimental and control group.

2. There is no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test

score of the control group and the experimental group.

3. There is no significant difference between the achievement of the

experimental and control group.

7

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help the curriculum planners to make important decisions

on educational reforms that will benefit students. Specifically, the resulting

data can be utilized by teachers to implement strategies that will enhance the

achievement of their educational goals and objectives.

The result of this study will also improve the quality of students’ learning

especially those who do not fare well in Mathematics.

For future researches, the result of this study can be used to explore

another angle of study with regard to the strategy in teaching Mathematics.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms, considered vital to the study, are operationally

defined to help readers understand the text.

Methods of teaching → unique courses of actions that will assist the teacher

in planning and implementing a daily lesson.

Traditional method → refers to the plain lecture wherein students passively

receive information delivered in a verbal and presumably organized way by

teachers. As used in the study, it refers to class lecture with the use of chalks

and words printed on manila paper or cartolina.

8

Teaching effectiveness → represented by the post test scores of both the

experimental and control group.

Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) strategy → an instructional

strategy used in mathematics that provides instruction first through the use

of objects(concrete phase), then through the use of pictures(representational

phase), and finally through the use of numbers and symbols only(abstract

phase).
9

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Mathematics is perceived to be a difficult subject. Ask a student what is

his least favorite subject, chances are you will get Mathematics as an answer.

According to the latest Gallup Youth Survey (2004), the subject that teenager

find most difficult is Mathematics. Thus, it is not surprising that the subject

has the lowest performance rate. This is bolstered by some studies including

the Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2003 showing that the

Philippines’ 8th grade students’ skills and competencies in Math ranked a pitiful

42nd out of 46 participating countries while the Philippine 4 th grade students

placed 23rd out of 25 participating countries. It is gloomy to know that the

Philippines belongs to the bottom five of poor achievers in Mathematics.

In the Philippine context as cited in a research conducted by Calbahug

and Ladot (2005), University of the Philippines’ greatest failure is in

Mathematics. Further, they added that repetition is common among UP

students that almost one out of three repeat a Math course. Calbahug and

Ladot (2005) also said that the faculty of UP Cebu and Natural Science and

Mathematics Division (NSMD) have felt the declining performance of students

in Mathematics.

Truly, mathematics performance in the Philippines is in continuous

decline. As part of the efforts of the government to respond to the perceived

10

needs of the education sector, the DepEd had pushed for the change in the

basic Education Curriculum – the implementation of the enhanced Enhanced

K-12 Basic Education Program. Also, steps were taken to uncover the factors

that contribute to the country’s poor performance in Mathematics.

According to Andaya (2014) there is high correlation between

achievement in Mathematics and the Instructional factor. The study avers that

the teachers have major effect on students’ achievement. According to Stein,

et. al. (2006), the techniques used by a teacher may influence the rate of

learning and student self-concept. Arguably, in order to advance in

Mathematics it is imperative that educators change their ways of delivering

the content. A method that will address the poor performance of students in

Mathematics.

Effective instruction is based on students’ learning needs. Examples of

effective strategies include graphic organizers, learning strategies,

mnemonics, examples and non-examples, peer-mediated strategies and

visual representations (Miller and Hudson 2007). Research supports teaching

Mathematics concepts using representations that move the learner from the

concrete to representational to abstract demonstration of the strategy (Witzel

and Riccomini 2009).

Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) sequenced instruction is an

intervention for Mathematics instruction that can enhance the mathematics

11

performance of students with learning disabilities. It is a three-part

instructional strategy with each part building on the previous instruction to

promote student learning and retention and to address conceptual knowledge.

CRA is an adaptation of Jerome Bruner’s enactive-iconic-symbolic mode

of instruction. It also conforms to Edgar Dale’s cone of experience suggesting

that instruction should start from concrete proceeding to abstract (Hoory, L.

et. al. 2015). CRA is widely used in Singapore and is advocated by the

Singapore Ministry of Education.

CRA is suggested by Ketterlin-Geller, et. al. (2008) saying that a

graduated instructional sequence that proceeds from concrete to

representational to abstract benefits struggling students. This recommended

instructional approach of starting with modes of learning that are more

concrete to students then gradually replacing the representations into form

that approximate formal mathematical symbols or language is not a

commonplace.

The CRA instructional sequence consists of three stages: concrete,

representation and abstract. In the concrete stage, the teacher begins

instruction by modelling each mathematical concept with concrete materials

(e.g., red and yellow chips, cubes, geometric figures, etc.). In the

representational stage, on the other hand, the teacher transforms the

concrete into a representational level which may involve drawing pictures,

12

using circles, dots and tallies, etc. The last part is the abstract stage. This is

where the teacher models mathematical concept at a symbolic level using only

numbers, notations and mathematical symbols. With the aforementioned, CRA

promotes mastery of skills in Math since the learner will go through three

stages of learning a concept.

In a recent study on using the CRA sequenced instruction in teaching

subtraction with regrouping to some low-achieving Grade 3 Math students,

Flores (2010) reported that the students show improvement in fluency and

confidence in doing arithmetic computations involving subtractions.

CRA is an effective instructional strategy to teach students who struggle

in fractions. More interestingly, students who received CRA instruction

retained fractions information better than the students who received

traditional instruction (Hughes 2011).

According to Witzel (2005), interacting with the algebra concept using

manipulatives and representations resulted in higher student performances

immediately following instruction as well as three weeks after instruction.

The different researches conducted points out that CRA can help in the

mastery and retention of concepts. Although there are plenty of researches

concerning the use of CRA, most of them focuses on algebra. This study will

examine the effectiveness of using CRA strategy in teaching geometry.

13

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

The researcher used the quasi-experimental design. Quasi-experimental

design is a research procedure in which the researchers must select

participants for different conditions from pre-existing groups (McBrunney and

White 2013). Particularly, the researchers used the non-equivalent control

group design of a quasi-experimental method.

The design would take the following form:

G1 O1 X O2

G2 O3 --- O4

Where:

G1 = Experimental Group

G2 = Control Group

O1 and O3 = Pre-test of the groups

O2 and O4 = Post-test of the groups

X = application of CRA

--- = Traditional Method

14

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study conforms with the ethical considerations as supported by the

Belmont Report.

The participants are given the leeway during their participation in the

study by giving them informed consent. They were informed about the nature

of the research study and were allowed to agree, disagree or even cease in

participating in the event of an unfavorable situation.

Confidentiality procedures were undertaken in the conduct of the study.

The participants were assured that the data that they are going to provide will

be treated with utmost confidentiality. Thus, their information will be utilized

solely for this study and shall not be disclosed to anyone. Confidentiality is

uphold by assigning a number to each participant.

RESEARCH LOCALE AND PARTICIPANT

The participants of this study are four (4) high school teachers and one

hundred fourty four (144) Grade VII students from two public high schools in

Tacloban City. The students were divided into four classes – two control groups

and two experimental groups.

Two teachers taught using the traditional method of teaching and the

remaining two teachers employed the CRA strategy in teaching students in

15

the experimental group. The teachers under the experimental group were

trained in using the CRA Strategy in teaching Mathematics.

SAMPLING DESIGN

The target population for this study is the Grade VII students in Tacloban

City. The sampling technique used is two-stage cluster sampling considering

the number of students and the geographical location of the schools. There

are eight (8) public high schools in Tacloban and two schools were selected

randomly using the formula:

𝑛
𝐾=√
2

where:

K = number of clusters to be selected

n = total number of clusters

Source: Kodinariya, T. M., & Makwana, P. R. (2013). Review on determining

number of Cluster in K-Means Clustering. International Journal, 1(6), 90-95.

In each of the two schools, participants were randomly selected. One

hundred fourty four (144) constitute the sample size. This was determined

using Krejcie and Morgan’s Table of Determining Sample Size for Finite

Population.
16

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The main data gathering instrument in this study was the

researcher- made test questionnaire involving prism and cylinder. The

test is composed of 26 items. To ensure content validity, four experts

were asked to evaluate the questions. The pool of experts is composed

of two university instructors and two public high school teachers.

The questions were assessed as to its clarity and relevance using

a four-point likert scale. In each item, the Content Validity Ratio was

calculated using Lawshe’s Method.

𝑛
𝑛𝑒 −
2
𝐶𝑉𝑅 = 𝑁
2

where:
ne is the number of panelists identifying an item as “essential”
N is the total number of panelists

Polit, Beck, and Owen (2007) suggest items with a CVR of 0.78 or higher

with three or more experts could be considered evidence of good content

validity. If an item does not reach this threshold, it would normally be deleted

from the final instrument.

Based on the computed CVR, only 22 questions out of 26 questions or

84.6% were considered valid in terms of relevance and clarity. Four (4)

questions were removed from the pool of items.

17

RESEARCH PROCEDURE

The study lasted for four meetings with an estimated time of one

hour for every meeting. On the first meeting, the teachers conducted

the pre-test to the class. On the second meeting, the researchers

divided the class into two groups – control and experimental. On the

third meeting, interventions were made to the experimental and control

group. For the experimental group, the strategy named Concrete-

Representational-Abstract Sequenced Instruction was utilized. On the

other hand, the traditional lecture method was used to teach the

volume of prism and cylinder in the control group. The same topic was

discussed to both groups. On the fourth meeting, the researchers

conducted the post-test to determine the learning gains of the students.

Statistical Treatment

The researcher used paired t-test for determining the significant

difference between the students’ pre and post-test scores and t-test for

independent samples to determine the difference between the post test

scores of the groups.

18

REFERENCES

Andaya, O. (2014). Factors that affect Math Achievement of Students of

Philippine Normal University – Isabela Campus. Retrieved from
www.researchersworld.com
Anstrom, T. (2014) Supporting Students in Mathematics Through the use of
Manipulatives. Washington, D.C.
Bayram, S. (2004). The Effect of Instruction with Concrete Models on Eighth
Grade Students’ Geometry Achievement and Attitudes toward Geometry.
The Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences of Middle East
Technology University.
Calbahug, L., Ladut, C. (2005). The Academic Performance in Basic
Mathematics of UPV Cebu College Freshmen from School Years 2000-
2001 to 2003-2004: A Basis for Admission to Degree Programs
Flores, M. M. (2010). Using the CRA Sequence to teach Subtraction with
Regrouping to Students at risk for failure. Remedial and Special Education
and Practice, 22 (1), 13-14.
Hughes, Elizabeth (2011). The effects of Concrete-Representational-Abstract
Sequences Instruction on Struggling Learners Acquisition, Retention and
Self-efficacy of Fractions.
Kodinariya, T. M., & Makwana, P. R. (2013). Review on determining number
of Cluster in K-Means Clustering. International Journal, 1(6), 90-95.

LAWSHE, C. H. 1975. A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel

Psychology, 28, 563-575.
Stein, M., Kindler, O., Silbert, J., and Carvine, D. (2006). Designing Effective
Mathematics Instruction: A Direct Instruction Approach 4th Edition. Upper
Saddle River, NS: Person Education, Inc.
Strozier, S. (2012). The Effect of Concrete-Representational-Abstract
Sequence and a Mnemonic Strategy on Algebra Skills who struggle in Math.
Witzel, B. (2005) Using CRA to teach Algebra to Students with Math
Difficulties in Inclusive Settings.
Witzel, B. S. and Riccomini, P. J. (2009). Computation of Fractions: Math
Intervention for Elementary and Middle Grade Students. Upper Saddle River,
NS: Person Education, Inc.
19

APPENDIX A:TEST QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: _______________________________________ Grade & Section: ________________

Directions: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter that corresponds to your answer.
1. What do you call a polyhedron whose congruent bases lie in parallel planes?
a. Prism c. Cylinder
b. Cone d. Sphere

2. What do you call a solid figure whose bases are congruent circles?
a. Prism c. Cylinder
b. Cone d. Sphere

3. What is a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are perpendicular to the two bases?
a. Hexagonal Prism c. Right Prism
b. Oblique Prism d. Square Prism

4. What is the amount of space occupied by a 3-dimensional object?

a. Surface area c. Volume
b. Perimeter d. Circumference

5. What is the formula used in getting the volume of a circular cylinder?

a. 𝑉 = 𝜋𝑑2 ℎ c. 𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
b. 𝑉 = 2𝜋𝑑ℎ d. 𝑉 = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ

6. What is the formula used in getting the volume of a rectangular prism?

a. 𝑉 = 𝑙𝑤 2 𝑟 c. 𝑉 = 𝑙𝑤ℎ2
b. 𝑉 = 𝑙𝑤ℎ d. 𝑉 = 𝑤ℎ𝑟

7. Which of the following statements is true?

a. If a prism and a cylinder have the same volumes, they also have the same surface areas.
b. If two cubes have the same surface area, they also have the same volume
c. If a prism is oblique, then its lateral faces or edges are perpendicular to the base.
d. If a plane is passed through a cylinder the section made by their intersection is a circle.

8. Given a rectangular prism with a length of 5 in, a width of 6 in, and a of height 3 in, what
is its volume?
a. 14 𝑖𝑛3 c. 60 𝑖𝑛3
b. 30 𝑖𝑛3 d. 90 𝑖𝑛3

9. What is the volume of a rectangular prism that is 3 units high, 4 units long and 8 units
deep?
a. 15 𝑖𝑛3 c. 96 𝑖𝑛3
20

b. 48 𝑖𝑛3 d. 144 𝑖𝑛3

10. What is the height of the rectangular prism if the base has an area of 16 𝑖𝑛2 and volume
48 𝑖𝑛3 ?
a. 4 in c. 6 in
b. 2 in d. 3 in

11. What is the area of the base of the rectangular prism if the height is 12, and the volume is
144 𝑖𝑛3 ?
a. 3 𝑖𝑛2 c. 6 𝑖𝑛2
b. 9 𝑖𝑛2 d. 12 𝑖𝑛2

12. Given a circular cylinder having a radius of 3 feet and a height of 7 feet, what is its
volume?
a. 63𝜋 𝑓𝑡 3 c. 126𝜋 𝑓𝑡 3
b. 42𝜋 𝑓𝑡 3 d. 21𝜋 𝑓𝑡 3

13. Which set of dimensions belongs to a right rectangular prism with a volume of 440 cm3?
a. 6 cm x 12 cm x 5 cm c. 8 cm x 5 cm x 11 cm
b. 7 cm x 9 cm x 6 cm d. 12 cm x 2 cm x 5 cm

14. A rectangular aquarium has a height of 24 cm and can contain 624 cm3 of water. What is
the dimension of the base of the aquarium?
a. 6 cm x 5 cm c. 24 cm x 13 cm
b. 13 cm x 2 cm d. 26 cm x 24 cm

15. A recycling bin is shaped like a right rectangular prism and holds 300, 000 cm3 of
returnable containers. If the base of the bin is 40 cm wide and 60 cm long, what is the
height of the recycling bin in meters?
a. 0.90 m c. 1.50 m
b. 1.25 m d. 3.00 m

16. A soup can has a radius of 4.3 cm and a height of 11.6 cm. What is the volume of the
soup can rounded to the nearest tenth of a cubic centimeter?
a. 49.9 cm3 b. 168.4 cm3 c. 673.5 cm3 d. 1816.8 cm3

17. A metal tube is in the form of a right circular cylinder. The radius of its base is 3 cm and
its height is 10 cm. What is the volume of the metal cube?
a. 279.7 cm3 b. 280.7 cm3 c. 281.7 cm3 d. 282.7 cm3
21

18. A cylindrical tank has a height of 10 m and a base radius of 5m. It contains 125π m3 of
water. How much water can you fill the tank to make it full?
a. 50π m3 b. 150π m3 c. 125π m3 d. 250π m3

19. A standard die is a cube with sides measuring 15 mm. What is the
volume of the die?
a. 30 mm3 c. 225 mm3
b. 45 mm3 d. 3375 mm3

20. What is the height of a rectangular box having a volume of 400 cm3 a length of 5 cm and
a width of 4 cm?
a. 5 cm
b. 10 cm
c. 15 cm
d. 20 cm

21. What is the volume of the figure on the right?

a. 393 π m3
b. 394 π m3
c. 395 π m3
d. 396 π m3

22. Which of the following is true about a circular cylinder?

a. The axis is not perpendicular to the base,
b. The bases are parallel to each other.
c. The height is twice the length of the radius.
d. The section made by passing a plane is always a circle.
22
23

APPENNDIX B

Leyte Normal University

Tacloban City

TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS

Test in Mathematics VII

SY 2018-2019

No. No.
Topic of of % Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
Days Items
Properties,
Surface
Area and
Volume of 1 13 50% 3 9 1
Rectangular
Prism
Properties,
Surface
Area and
Volume of 1 13 50% 3 9 1
Rectangular
Prism
Total 2 26 100% 6 18 2

Prepared by:

FELICITO, JR. N. BADION

24

APPENDIX C: LESSON PLAN (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP)

Leyte Normal University
Tacloban City
A Semi-detailed Lesson Plan in Mathematics VII
I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson the Grade VII students are expected to the
following with at least 90% proficiency.
1. Define prism and cylinder.
2. Appreciate the importance of volume in real life.
3. Solve problems involving volume of rectangular prism and circular
cylinder.
II. Content/Materials
A. Topic: Volume of Prism and Cylinder
B. References: Mathematics: Concepts and Skills; Larson, Boswell and
Kanold
pp. 407-417
C. Materials: Pictures and Cartolina
D. Values Integrated: Honesty
III. Procedure:
A. Motivation
The class will pay the popular game called Four Pics One Word.
The words that they are going to guess are part of the discussion.
B. Presentation
To guide us in understanding volume, we have to know first the
term polyhedron.
Polyhedron - solid bounded by polygons joined at their edges.
Prism – a type of polyhedron whose congruent bases lie in parallel plane.
25

Prisms are named according to their bases; cube (square prism)

and rectangles (rectangular prism). Our concern is only the rectangular
prism.
Let us proceed to the volume of the prism.
Volume- the amount of space a solid figure occupies.
The unit measure for volume of solids is in cubic length (i.e. cubic
cm, cubic m, cubic in, etc.). Unlike in area, it’s just in square m, square
cm, square in, etc. It is because only two dimensions are involved.
What is the formula for the volume of a prism? We know that its
area is just the product of its length and width “(l)(w)”.
(Show a 3-d figure). Area gives us the space in here. It excludes
this portion. Remember that this solid figure is formed by series of
rectangles. And how many rectangles are their?
There are h rectangles where h is the height. Therefore:
V= Bh = l x w x h
I have here a cube, a 1x1x1 inch cube. It occupies a space of 1
cubic inch. Now, how many cube of this size will be needed to fill a
rectangular container having a length of 3 inches, a width of 2 inches
and a height of 2 inches. What do you think? Let us try.
12 pieces of cubes fill the container. How does it relate to its
volume? The volume of the figure is equal to the number of cubes it can
fill. Therefore, the volume of a rectangular prism is just the number of
1x1x1 cubes that are needed to fill a rectangular prism.
A prism is also classified as right or oblique.
Right Prism – a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are
perpendicular to the bases.
Oblique Prism – a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are not
perpendicular to its bases.
In our discussion we are only particular with the right prism.
Exercise:
Find the volume of the following.
26

4ft

3ft

7ft

Let us now proceed to cylinder.

Cylinder – a solid bounded by a closed cylindrical surface and two
parallel planes cutting the cylindrical surface.
The two parallel planes are called the bases of cylinder. The
distance between the two bases of a cylinder is the altitude. The radius
of the base is the radius of a cylinder.
To derive the formula for the volume of a cylinder we make use the idea
of prism.
Imagine a cylinder to be a pile of cd’s. We know that the area of the
circle is the product of pi and the squared radius. The volume is just the area
of the circle multiplied by a certain height.
Therefore: V = Bh = pi x r2 x h
Exercise:
Solve the volume of the following.

7ft

4ft
27

C. Generalization
The general formula for the volume of a prism is base x height.
Since a cylinder can be thought of as a prism with two circular bases, the
general formula for the volume of a prism may be applied to get the volume
of a cylinder. Thus, the volume of a cylinder is the product of the area of the
circular and its height.
Now, I would like to ask everyone, is this a cylinder or not? (Show
a can)
It is not a cylinder but is cylindrical in shape. Remember for a figure
to be called a cylinder it has to be a solid figure. Since this can is hollow it is
not a cylinder. And it is a common misconception among students and
teachers as well.
D. Application
(Work in Groups)
1. A cylindrical tank has a volume of 200 pi and a diameter of 10m. What is
its height?
2. A right prism has s square base and a lateral edge which measures 10cm.
Find the volume of the solid if the lateral area is 120 cm2 ?
28

APPENDIX D: LESSON PLAN (CONTROL GROUP)

Leyte Normal University
Tacloban City
A Semi-detailed Lesson Plan in Mathematics VII
I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson the Grade VII students are expected to the
following with at least 90% proficiency.
1. Define prism and cylinder.
2. Appreciate the importance of volume in real life.
3. Solve problems involving volume of rectangular prism and circular
cylinder.
II. Content/Materials
A. Topic: Volume of Prism and Cylinder
B. References: Mathematics: Concepts and Skills; Larson, Boswell and
Kanold
pp. 407-417
C. Materials: Pictures and Cartolina
D. Values Integrated: Honesty
III. Procedure:
A. Motivation
The class will pay the popular game called Four Pics One Word.
The words that they are going to guess are part of the discussion.
B. Presentation
We are going to talk about volumes of prism and cylinder. To start
the discussion, let us first define some terms.
Volume- the amount of space a solid figure occupies.
Prism – a type of polyhedron whose congruent bases lie in parallel plane.
Polyhedron - solid bounded by polygons joined at their edges.
29

There are two types of prisms. These are the right prism and
oblique prism.
Right Prism – a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are
perpendicular to the bases.
Oblique Prism – a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are not
perpendicular to its bases.
But today, we are only bound to right prism. Now, how are we going to
find the volume of a prism?
In words: if a prism has a base area of B square units and a height
of h units, then the volume V is B x h cubic units.
In symbols: V= B x h
For example:

5in. V= B x h
V= l x w x h
V= 2 x 3.5 x 5
V= 35
The volume is 35 cubic
inches.

3.5in
2in.

Let us proceed to cylinder.

Cylinder – a solid bounded by a closed cylindrical surface and two
parallel planes cutting the cylindrical surface.
The two parallel planes are called the bases of cylinder. The
distance between the two bases of a cylinder is the altitude. The radius
of the base is the radius of a cylinder.
To derive the formula for the volume of a cylinder we make use the idea
of prism.
30

In symbols: If a circular cylinder has a base with a radius of r units and

a height of h units, then the volume V is pi x r2 x h cubic units.
For example: 20cm.

V= pi x r2 x h
V= pi x 72 x 20
14cm.
V= 980pi or about 3079

The volume is about 3079 cubic cm.

For you to master the topic, let us have an activity. Find the volume of the
following right prism and circular cylinder.
1. Length: 5ft., width: 5ft., height: 5ft.
2. Length: 16cm, width: 4cm, height: 8cm
3. Height: 6in., diameter: 14in.
4. Height: 10ft.., radius: 8ft.

C. Generalization
The general formula for the volume of a prism is base x height.
Since a cylinder can be thought of as a prism with two circular bases, the
general formula for the volume of a prism may be applied to get the volume
of a cylinder. Thus, the volume of a cylinder is the product of the area of the
circular and its height.
D. Application
(Work in Groups)
1. A cube has a side A units long. What is the formula for the volume of the
cube in terms of A.
31

2. A rectangular swimming pool has a base area of 1.41 cm2 and a volume of
4.64 cm3 . What is its height?
3. Suppose you roll an 8.5-by-11 inch piece of paper to form a cylinder. Will
the volume be greater if you roll it so the height is 8.5 inches or 11 inches, or
will the volumes be the same?
4. A rectangular cake pan is 30cm. by 21cm. by 5cm. A round cake pan has a
diameter of 21cm. and a height of 4cm. Which will hold more batter, the
rectangular pan or two round pans?