Big Ideas:
To find the volume of composite solids, we can decompose them into right rectangular prisms to find the volume of each part.
Volume is a unique attribute of solids that explains how much space an object takes up.
This lesson builds on student's work with whole numbers, volume, and additive reasoning. The launch and task explore a real world problem to generate student thinking about the strategy of decomposing a composite solid made of rectangular prisms in order to find the total volume of the solid. By finding the volume through decomposing a composite solid, students reason that objects can be broken down into smaller parts in order to explore volume as an attribute of solids.
Vocabulary:
rectangular prism, volume, composite solid, decompose
Lesson plan