Capacity

Strand: Shape and Space (Measurement)
Outcome: 5

Step 4: Assess Student Learning

Guiding Questions

Look back at what you determined as acceptable evidence in Step 2.
What are the most appropriate methods and activities for assessing student learning?
How will I align my assessment strategies with my teaching strategies?

Sample Assessment Tasks

In addition to ongoing assessment throughout the lessons, consider the following sample activities to evaluate students' learning at key milestones. Suggestions are given for assessing all students as a class or in groups, individual students in need of further evaluation and individual or groups of students in a variety of contexts.

A. Whole Class/Group Assessment

Examples of Whole Class/Group Assessment Word Document

B. One-on-One Assessment

Estimating Capacity
If the student has difficulty estimating capacity using standard units of measure, provide the student with a set of measuring spoons in metric measure and explain that smallest spoon holds 1 millilitre or 1 mL. Have the student suggest examples from real life that would illustrate a capacity of about 1 mL; e.g., a sip of water or a few drops (10 or so) from a medicine dropper. Similarly, have the student suggest containers that have a capacity of about 1 litre; e.g., a litre of milk. Encourage the student to describe a personal referent to represent 1 mL and 1 L.

Measuring and Recording Capacity
Provide the student with containers of different sizes and have the student estimate the capacity in millilitres or litres. Encourage the student to use his or her personal referent to estimate and also explain the process used in estimating. Immediately after estimating, have the student measure the capacity of the containers by emptying the container into a graduated beaker with appropriate markings for millilitres and litres or by repeatedly using a nonstandard or standard unit to fill the container. Remind the student that capacity must be recorded using a number and a correct unit to match the attribute of capacity.

If the student has difficulty measuring and recording the capacity of containers, fill the container being measured with water, sand or rice. Then have the student pour the contents of the container into a graduated beaker and record the level in millilitres. If the container is small, the student could use an appropriate measuring spoon labelled in millilitres to fill the container with water, sand or rice, counting the number of spoonfuls and multiplying by the number of millilitres in each spoon.

C. Applied Learning

Provide opportunities for the students to use their understanding of capacity in practical situations and notice whether or not this understanding transfers. For example, have the students find the capacity of a container such as a pop can or an empty juice bottle. Does the student:

estimate the capacity prior to finding the actual capacity?
use units that match the attribute of capacity?
use nonstandard (e.g., liquid medicine cups or a cream cheese container) or standard units (e.g., measuring spoon for 1 mL or a milk carton f or 1 L) to measure the capacity of the container by filling it?
use units of an appropriate size to measure the capacity?
write the capacity using a number and the unit chosen?
compare the estimated capacity with the capacity found by using nonstandard or standard units?
apply this concept to other situations, such as finding the capacity of different containers that can be filled?

Related Resources

Assessment in the Mathematics