Measuring the mass, density, or volume of something can be super tricky for students. It’s easy for students to confuse the various formulas or even when to measure the mass vs. density. That’s where practice comes in. These six activities will help you do that in an engaging and effective way!

 

#1 Mass, Volume, and Density Stations

Stations are a simple way to get students familiar with measuring matter. My mass, volume, and density stations include seven low-prep activities to make your measuring matter unit a breeze. Each station takes between 8 to 10 minutes, and students will practice with activities like measuring the density of a chocolate bar and creating a rainbow liquid density tower. Try out the mass, volume, and density stations here.

#2 Practice Calculations

This might sound straightforward, but sometimes the best you can do is practice…and then practice some more! Measuring the mass, density, and volume of items can take time to get right. Give students problems to solve in class. Display problems around the room and have a gallery walk. Choose labs where students will need to apply their knowledge of measuring matter. And you can even use digital games like Kahoot! to practice. The more ways we can find to reinforce these calculations, the more students will remember them!

 

#3 Mass, Volume, and Density Task Cards

Task cards might seem outdated, but they can be really useful for skills like measuring density. My mass, volume, and density task cards are editable and self-grading (when used digitally)! I love setting up task cards as a gallery walk for added engagement. 

 

#4 Practice Measuring the Density with Rainbow Towers

Add some engagement to measuring density with this rainbow towers activity. When I make these towers with students, I like to use water, dish soap, syrup, and rubbing alcohol with food coloring, but you can choose other substances based on what you already have available. The liquids will form different layers based on their density, and it’s a cool way to help students visualize the concept.

#5 Water Displacement Experiment

This experiment is simple because you can do it with objects that are already in your classroom. With any measurable container, like a beaker or a test tube, add a small amount of water and measure. Then, add an object and measure again. Have students note the difference between the starting point with just water and then once the object was added. This measurement will determine the density of the object. Allow students to practice by putting a variety of objects into the beakers or other containers.

 

#6 Measuring Matter with Mystery Blocks

For this activity, give students blocks of various metals or substances (like wood, plastic, or metal) with identical dimensions or volumes. Don’t reveal what the objects are made of (that part is the mystery). Then, ask students to measure the volume, find the mass, and calculate the density. This hands-on experiment gives them the opportunity to practice measuring a variety of materials, and in the end, you can have them guess what the materials are.

While measuring the mass, density, or volume of matter can be tricky, I hope these activities make the task enjoyable for both you and your students!