Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply arithmetic concepts to real-life situations involving building with different materials indoors and outdoors.
Materials and Prep
- Paper and pencil
- Ruler
- Building materials such as blocks, Legos, or recycled materials
- Access to indoor and outdoor spaces for building
No prior knowledge is required for this lesson.
Activities
- Measure and Calculate: Choose a building material and measure its length, width, and height using a ruler. Write down the measurements on a piece of paper. Then, calculate the total volume of the material by multiplying the length, width, and height together.
- Build and Estimate: Use the building materials to construct a structure, either indoors or outdoors. Estimate the number of materials you used for the construction. Write down your estimate.
- Count and Divide: Count the total number of building materials you used for the structure. Divide the total number by the number of materials you estimated using earlier. Write down the quotient as the average number of materials used per construction unit.
- Problem-Solving: Create a word problem related to building with different materials. Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division to solve the problem. Share your problem with a family member or friend and see if they can solve it.
Fourth Grade Talking Points
- "Arithmetic is a branch of mathematics that deals with numbers and their operations."
- "When we measure the length, width, and height of a building material, we can calculate its volume by multiplying these measurements together."
- "Estimating means making a rough guess or approximation of a number without calculating it exactly."
- "Division is a mathematical operation that helps us distribute or share things equally."
- "Word problems are mathematical questions or puzzles that we can solve using arithmetic operations."