Friday, September 17, 2010

Popcorn and Pyjamas

We used popcorn this week to help us learn about volume.
We could only put 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into the popcorn maker at a time, so the first measuring task was use different units to measure out half a cup of kernels.

To fill half a cup this is what we needed:











We also found out that a yoghurt pottle equals a half cup.

We cooked two batches of popcorn. The first batch filled the glass bowl.
The second batch filled the plastic bowl and some left-over went into the aluminium bowl.








Did we get the same amount of popcorn in each batch? Did the two bowls together equal the glass bowl? 
Some people thought there was more in the two bowls on the left.
Some people thought there was more in the glass bowl because it was bigger.
A couple of people thought it would be the same, because we put a 1/2 cup of kernels into the popcorn maker each time.

So we measured each batch using litre containers and guess what?
Both batches of popcorn were the same! They each had just under 3 litres of popcorn from just 1/2 cup of kernels.


Now, what to do with the popcorn?
Luckily, the class had earned enough class points for a class reward.
So we had a pyjama party with a movie and popcorn! Yummy!

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