Volume of a box: a 35-minute 5th grade measurement activity
What it is: a 5th grade measurement activity where students fill small boxes with unit cubes, count one layer and the number of layers, and discover the formula for volume: length × width × height.
Time: about 35 minutes. Grade: 5th grade.
Materials: per group: 3 small open boxes (such as gift boxes or cut-down cartons), about 60 centimeter or inch cubes, a ruler, and a recording table.
- Show a box and ask: "How many cubes do you think fit inside?" Record guesses.
- Groups fill the bottom layer only and count it. Ask: "How could you find the whole box without filling it?"
- Groups count how many layers fit and multiply. Then they fill the box to check.
- Groups measure the length, width and height with a ruler and compare l × w × h to their count.
- Challenge: design a box that holds exactly 24 cubes. How many different boxes are possible?
Differentiation: students who need support fill and count every box. Students who are ready find the volume of an L-shaped figure made of two boxes. English learners can use the words layer, length, width, height and cubic units.
Quick check: show a box that is 4 by 3 by 2 cubes and ask a student for its volume and how they found it.
Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades 3–5
- Subject
- Math
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.