Volume Definition – The amount of space that a substance or object occupies, or that is enclosed within a container.https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/volume
Having enjoyed mathematics at school and knowing how to calculate volume it was interesting to find out today not just how to do it but also practical methods to show the children how to work it out. Calculating the volume of a cube is done by the formula length x breadth x height = volume (cm3) but there are many practical ways to do this with visuals to so how this works. We were asked to create a cube out of squared paper, scissors and sellotape. This was then used to fill with 1 cm cubes which shows how many fit into the cube looking at the volume. The picture below shows that I created a cube which was 5 x 5 x 5 which makes the volume 125cm3. 
Allowing the children to make their own cubes with squared paper (a reasonable size – 3x3x3) and collecting enough cm cubes to put inside to count the volume will broaden their knowledge of what volume is and not just a formula. This is a great way to introduce volume as many find it a difficult concept but progressing on to using the formula is important as it would be near impossible to create a cube 100x100x100 and fill it with the cubes.
We then looked at the volume of a complex object such as plastic elephants which are used for counting, patterns etc in the early years. This is a whole different concept but children further up the school in P6/P7 may be able to grasp this. It involves water displacement and as shown in the photos when the elephants are added to the water the water rises in the beaker.
The beaker started with 100ml of water in it and when 6 small elephants were added it rose to 150ml of water showing that 6 elephants = 50ml so 1 elephant would = 8.333ml/cm3. This video shows measuring the volume of an irregular object. Using videos in class may also help to explain new concepts to children.
I felt that the importance of this lecture was to show that it is crucially important to us different methods for children to learn and make maths fun for all. Textbooks are useful for practice but learning different concepts most children will learn better hands on. This has been proven by many theorists who have done vast research in the field. Jo Boaler looks at this in her writing where she investigates instrumental and relational understanding in primary school through mathematics. My understanding of instrumental understanding is that it is learned by writing and following a procedure whereas relational understanding is learning what to do but also why you do it. This is key in maths and problem solving but actually in life as it is important that children learn what and why they are doing something and not just following a procedure.
Boaler, J. (2009) The Elephant in the Classroom: Helping Children to Learn and Love Maths. London: Souvenir Press Ltd.
