Which Container Holds the Most

1
Which Container Holds the Most?

• A hands-on exploration of volume for younger
  students.

2
Materials you will need

• Six strips of 5" X 1.5 card stock
• A cup of wooden or plastic beads
• Tape
• A shallow plastic tub or metal tray

3
In this activity you will explore differently
shaped containers to see which one holds the
most, or has the greatest volume.
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Volume is a word that refers to how much
something will hold.
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Containers that have volume can be used to hold
things. They are called three-dimensional shapes
because they have height, width, and depth.
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Three-dimensional shapes that have the same shape
top and bottom are called prisms. These shapes
have specific names that correspond to the number
of sides they have.
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A container with circular tops and bottoms is
called a cylinder or circular prism.
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A container with three straight sides is called a
triangular prism.
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A container with four straight sides is called a
rectangular prism.
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Make a predictionWhat kind of prism do you
think would hold the most?
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Test your prediction

• Using the strips of card stock provided by the
  teacher, build three containers of different
  shapes.
• Use beads to fill one of your containers to the
  top rim.
• Count the number it holds and record that
  information.
• Transfer beads to another container, adding more
  or fewer beads if necessary. Again, record the
  information.
• Repeat the process with your third shape.

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Analysis

• What did you discover about the relationship
  between the shape of the container and the number
  of beads it contains?

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Conclusion

• What trends do you see?
• How does the number of container sides compare
  with the number of beads it can hold?
• Does it matter if the sides are of equal length?