i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 5, Unit 5: Measurement Volume and Data
In this unit, your child works with several kinds of measuring. They convert between units such as feet and inches or liters and milliliters, make line plots of fraction measurements, and learn volume, first by counting unit cubes and then by multiplying length × width × height. It applies the fraction work from the previous unit and comes before geometry and the coordinate plane.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Unit 5?
- Converting between units such as feet and inches or liters and milliliters, like 2.5 liters to 2,500 milliliters. Learn more: Converting feet to yards and grams to kilograms
- Making line plots of fraction measurements and using them to find totals, differences, and fair shares. Learn more: Measurement charts with halves, quarters, and eighths
- Understanding volume as the amount of space inside a solid, measured in unit cubes. Learn more: Volume: how much space is inside a solid
- Counting unit cubes, including hidden ones, to find the volume of boxes in cubic units. Learn more: Finding volume by counting cubes
- Multiplying length × width × height to find volume, and adding the volumes of two boxes in one figure. Learn more: Finding the volume of a box
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
Nadia asks for 3/4 pound of sliced turkey at the deli. How many ounces of turkey is that?
- 4 ounces
- 9 ounces
- 12 ounces
How you can help
- Measure family members' shoes to the nearest 1/4 inch. Plot the lengths on a number line with Xs and ask your child the difference between the longest and shortest.
- Read a bottle label with your child, like 1.5 liters. Ask how many 250-milliliter glasses it fills, 6, and to explain the conversion.
- Measure a storage bin or toy box in feet and multiply for its volume. Ask your child how many 1-foot cubes would fit inside.
Where kids can get stuck
- Treating feet and inches like decimals, so 5 feet 8 inches is written as 5.8 feet.
- Placing 3/8 after 1/2 on a line plot, unsure where it falls between 1/4 and 1/2.
- Counting only the cubes they can see in a picture, so a 3 by 4 by 2 stack seems smaller than 24.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- convert
- To rewrite an amount using another unit of the same kind.
- milliliter
- A small metric unit of liquid; 1,000 milliliters make 1 liter.
- line plot
- A graph that uses Xs above a number line to show data.
- data
- Information collected to answer a question, like a list of measurements.
- volume
- The amount of space inside a solid, measured in cubic units.
- unit cube
- A cube with each side 1 unit long, used to measure volume.
- cubic unit
- The unit for volume, like a cubic inch or a cubic centimeter.
- rectangular prism
- A solid shaped like a box, such as a cereal box or a brick.
Ready to build your child’s confidence with measurement and volume?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
Join the club
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 5 Unit 5 cover?
i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 5 Unit 5 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
- 5.MD.A.1: Convert between units, like feet and yards, to solve problems.
- 5.MD.B.2: Use line plots marked in fractions to solve problems in several steps.
- 5.MD.C.3: Understand volume: how many cubes it takes to fill a solid shape.
- 5.MD.C.4: Find the volume of a shape by counting cubes.
- 5.MD.C.5: Find the volume of a box by multiplying its length, width, and height.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.