Liquid Measure Fractions: A 3-Dimensional Model for Cups, Pints, Quarts, Half Gallons and Gallons

Students can play with cups, pints, quarts, half gallons, and gallon containers from our recycling bin as we learn about liquid measure. But if we really want students to SEE the relationships among the units we will use Liquid Measure Fractions. The base unit in Liquid Measure Fractions is a cup that is made into the shape of a cube. A cup of water fits inside exactly. Two cup cubes fit inside the pint, a rectangular prism that holds exactly one pint of water. Two pints can be embedded into a quart. Two quarts are also embedded inside a half gallon, a larger rectangular prism. Two half gallon units fit exactly inside the larger gallon unit. Each container holds exactly the right amount of water.

Because the model fits together as one, it is easy for the students to see the parts (cups, pints, quarts, and half gallons) and the whole (gallon) at the same time. Brain research on part-to-whole thinking supports building these types of relationships as effective learning tools. If students have these models, they will be able to make conversions among units with ease. The three dimensional nature of the model enables students to understand that these units measure capacity. The connections to volume become clear as the students can also measure the length, width, and height of the containers.