Grade
K

Math in Our World: Watering Flowers

A row of 5 watering cans. The first one is small and blue. The second one is tall and clear. The third one is medium and blue with flowers on it. The fourth one is small and green with a duck on it. The fifth one is medium and purple with a long spout.

Charlotte, Hayden, and Archer are going to water the flowers in their neighborhood. Charlotte wants to use the container that is the lightest to carry when it’s full of water. Hayden wants to use a container that will hold the most water at one time. Archer wants to use a watering container that can hold a lot of water, but not be too heavy to carry.

  1. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
  2. Use pictures, numbers, or math words to show or tell what you know about the containers.
  3. What math questions can you ask about the containers? Answer all the questions you can!
  • Think about how much water each container can hold.
  • Think about how you can compare the containers.
  • Think about which container would hold the most water. Which would hold the least? Will the container that holds the most water also be the heaviest? Why or why not?
  • Show your work to someone else, and explain your thinking. Did they understand?
  • Ask whether they have any other questions you can answer!

Look around your home for different sized containers and cups that can hold water. With a grown-up’s help, fill each with water to see which one holds the most water and which one holds the least.

Printable Version

Google doc for printing and copying

Reference for Educators

Sample problems and solutions