In the third grade, students start exploring the concept of area two dimensional shapes by tiling them with unit squares. In the fifth grade, they extend this understanding to determine volume of three dimensional objects by filling them with unit cubes. Unit cubes as the name suggest are cubes, with side length as 1 unit, therefore they have volume of 1 unit. If n unit cubes can be packed in an object, its volume n units. In Volume using Unit Cubes Worksheet, students determine area of a three dimensional object by counting the number of unit cubes required to fill the object completely. The objects used are either perfect cubes or rectangular prism or are made up of such components. They extend this understanding to find volume by counting number of unit cubes in a layer and multiplying it by the number of layers in the solid. This method builds the foundation to understand how the formula l x w x h for volume of solids works.

Common Core Alignment

5.MD.3.aA cube with side length 1 unit, called a "unit cube," is said to have "one cubic unit" of volume, and can be used to measure volume.

5.MD.5.aFind the volume of a right rectangular prism with whole-number side lengths by packing it with unit cubes, and show that the volume is the same as would be found by multiplying the edge lengths, equivalently by multiplying the height by the area of the base. Represent threefold whole-number products as volumes, e.g., to represent the associative property of multiplication.

5.MD.4Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units.

5.MD.3.bA solid figure which can be packed without gaps or overlaps using n unit cubes is said to have a volume of n cubic units.