Students preview a text about capacity to access their prior knowledge before completing the activity. Students fill different containers with styrofoam peanuts.

Ms. Thompson's class experiments with filling containers with various materials, such as styrofoam peanuts, digiblocks, unifix cubes and teddy bear counters. As the students experiment, they predict how many of each material will fit into the containers, each of a different size. Then, students count to check their predictions. This lesson provides many opportunities for students to develop their estimation skills. It also allows them to make various generalizations about capacity: the larger the container, the more the container holds. Also, the larger the material (or unit), the fewer it takes to fill the container. These measurement skills are fundamental to indicators in later grades, such as converting between units (see the fourth and fifth grade links above).

Indictors:
3.K.3.1 use direct comparison and nonstandard units to estimate and measure objects.
3.1.2.1 use nonstandard units to estimate and measure weight and capacity.