5/6F jumped straight in this term and stuck into some challenging work. They were asked to form small groups and figure out the question:
‘How many water balloons would it take to fill the 5/6F classroom?’
The students brains started to tick over with this problem. This is what they had to do:
1. Suggest questions that needed to be answered before this problem could be solved.
Are the balloons filled or empty? Filled
Will there be furniture in the room? No
Will the storeroom door be open or closed? Closed
Are the balloons small or large? Small
2. Work out what measurements have to be made to find the answer – find the volume.
3. What equipment was needed – water balloons, water, a box, metre rulers
4. Discuss how we find volume and why it is cm³ - The students realised that to find volume they had to know the height, length and width of the object (in this case the classroom and the box they were going to fill with the filled water balloons). They also realised the reason it is cm³, is because there are three dimensions (LxWxH).
5. Fill the water balloons – the fun part, and with the extremely hot weather we had it was quite a relief to have some balloons accidentally popJ .
6. Count how many balloons filled the box – Each group had a different sized box to see if this was a successful way to measure.
7. Find out how many boxes would fit in the classroom (volume of the classroom divided by the volume of the box).
8. Multiply the number of boxes that would fill the classroom by the number of balloons in each box. There fore coming up with the answer to the initial question.
Group 1 – Khiarni, Chloe, Jack A, Caitlin
Group 2 – Jessica, Drew, Dylan, Kathy, Marissa
Group 3 – Taylah, Linden, Josie, Jayden
Group 4 – Scott, Jacob, Patty, Breanna
Group 5 – Sienna, Jack E, Ashley, Connor, Lachie
The rest of the term should be just as fun. We will be looking at more problems similar to this one and many more exciting things.
I am very pleased with the maturity of all the students in 5/6F and am happy to say it is shaping up to be a great year.
Mrs Trudi Ford
5/6F classroom teacher.
‘How many water balloons would it take to fill the 5/6F classroom?’
The students brains started to tick over with this problem. This is what they had to do:
1. Suggest questions that needed to be answered before this problem could be solved.
Are the balloons filled or empty? Filled
Will there be furniture in the room? No
Will the storeroom door be open or closed? Closed
Are the balloons small or large? Small
2. Work out what measurements have to be made to find the answer – find the volume.
3. What equipment was needed – water balloons, water, a box, metre rulers
4. Discuss how we find volume and why it is cm³ - The students realised that to find volume they had to know the height, length and width of the object (in this case the classroom and the box they were going to fill with the filled water balloons). They also realised the reason it is cm³, is because there are three dimensions (LxWxH).
5. Fill the water balloons – the fun part, and with the extremely hot weather we had it was quite a relief to have some balloons accidentally popJ .
6. Count how many balloons filled the box – Each group had a different sized box to see if this was a successful way to measure.
7. Find out how many boxes would fit in the classroom (volume of the classroom divided by the volume of the box).
8. Multiply the number of boxes that would fill the classroom by the number of balloons in each box. There fore coming up with the answer to the initial question.
Group 1 – Khiarni, Chloe, Jack A, Caitlin
Group 2 – Jessica, Drew, Dylan, Kathy, Marissa
Group 3 – Taylah, Linden, Josie, Jayden
Group 4 – Scott, Jacob, Patty, Breanna
Group 5 – Sienna, Jack E, Ashley, Connor, Lachie
The rest of the term should be just as fun. We will be looking at more problems similar to this one and many more exciting things.
I am very pleased with the maturity of all the students in 5/6F and am happy to say it is shaping up to be a great year.
Mrs Trudi Ford
5/6F classroom teacher.
