Goldilocks and the three bears – Stage 1

A thinking mathematically targeted teaching opportunity focused on comparing the volume of containers.

Adapted from NZ Maths Three bears.

Syllabus

Syllabus outcomes and content descriptors from Mathematics K–10 Syllabus (2022) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

Outcomes

  • MAO-WM-01
  • MA1-3DS-02

Collect resources

You will need:

  • some different sized cups or glasses​
  • one type of filling material such as beans, rice, pasta or sand​
  • measuring spoons or small scoops
  • a tray or plate​
  • something to write on
  • something to write with.

Watch

Watch the Goldilocks and the three bears Stage 1 video (8:04).

Investigate how many cups are needed to fill containers.

[Text over a navy-blue background: Goldilocks and the three bears (Early Stage 1). From NZ Maths. Small font text in the upper left-hand corner reads: NSW Department of Education. In the lower left-hand corner is the white waratah of the NSW Government logo.]

Speaker

Goldilocks and the three bears, stage one from New Zealand Maths.

[A title on a white background reads: You will need…
Bullet points below read:

  • some different shaped cups or glasses
  • one type of filling material such as beans, rice, pasta or sand
  • a tray or plate
  • something to write on
  • something to write with.

Underneath the text is a row of image tiles showing:

  • 2 different shaped cups and a glass
  • different sacks of beans
  • 2 different sized cups
  • a white plate
  • a woman holding a piece of paper
  • coloured pencils.]

Speaker

You will need some different sized cups or glasses, one type of filling material such as beans or rice or pasta or sand, small scoops or measuring spoons, a tray or plate, something to write on, and something to write with.

[Text over a navy-blue background: Let’s investigate!]

Speaker

Let's investigate.

[A wooden tabletop from above, with a navy-blue background.]

Speaker

Hello, mathematicians. Goldilocks is coming over to the three bears' house today. She needs a cup that can hold exactly the same amount as Baby Bear's cup.

[The speaker holds out a green cup with label: Baby Bear’s Cup. She puts it on the right-hand side of the table. She places 3 glass cups of different sizes and shapes on the left-hand side of the table.]

Speaker

Here is Baby Bear's cup, and here are some other cups. Let's see what these cups look like from the side.

[She turns each cup on their side. Then she turns them back to the right side up.]

Speaker

Let's work out which of these cups can hold the same amount as Baby Bear's cup so we can give it to Goldilocks to use.

[She pushes the cups up the table slightly. She brings a tray of beans to the table.]

Speaker

I have some beans.

[She holds up a round, metal tray and a green plastic scoop.]

Speaker

A tray here, and a scoop.

[She puts the tray down next to the beans.]

Speaker

Let's work out how many scoopfuls Baby Bear's cup can hold.

[She lifts Baby Bear’s Cup and places it on the tray. She takes away the other cups and pushes the tray to the middle of the table. She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into Baby Bear’s cup. She holds up 1 finger.]

Speaker

One scoopful.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into Baby Bear’s cup. She holds up 2 fingers.]

Speaker

Two scoopfuls.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into Baby Bear’s cup. She holds up 3 fingers.]

Speaker

Three scoopfuls.

[She removes the tray and beans and places Baby Bear's cup in the middle of the table.]

Speaker

Baby Bear's cup holds three scoopfuls.

[She places a piece of paper on the table and writes on it: Baby Bear's cup holds 3 scoopfuls. She puts the paper under Baby Bear's cup. She places Baby Bear's and the paper in the top centre section of the table. She brings the other cups back. She moves the smallest cup to the centre.]

Speaker

Let's work out how many scoopfuls this cup holds.

[She takes the other cups away. She places the tray under the small cup. She brings the beans back and starts scooping. She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the small cup. She holds up 1 finger.]

Speaker

One scoopful.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the small cup. She holds up 2 fingers.]

Speaker

Two scoopfuls.

[She fills the scoop with beans.]

Speaker

There's still some space in this cup here.

[She pours the beans into the small cup. The beans spill out. She stops pouring.]

Speaker

Two and a half scoopfuls.

[She points to the scoop.]

Speaker

There's still more beans left in this scoop.

[She takes the scoop and beans away. She removes the tray from under the cup and sets the cup aside. She writes on a piece of paper: This cup holds 2 scoopfuls and a bit. She places the cup to the left of Baby Bear's cup. She points to the paper.]

Speaker

This cup holds two scoopfuls and a bit.

[She places the other two cups back on the table.]

Speaker

Let's work out how many scoopfuls this cup holds.

[She points to the cup on the left. She takes away the cup on the right. She places the tray next to the cup. She brings the beans back. She places the cup on the tray while moving the tray to the centre. She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 1 finger.]

Speaker

One scoopful.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 2 fingers.]

Speaker

Two scoopfuls.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 3 fingers.]

Speaker

Three scoopfuls. There’s still more space.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 4 fingers.]

Speaker

Four scoopfuls. This cup holds four scoopfuls of beans.

[She takes the beans away. She moves the cup to the side and takes away the tray. She writes on a piece of paper: This cup holds four scoopfuls. She places the paper under the cup, and moves the cup along with the paper to the right of Baby Bear's cup.]

Speaker

This cup holds four scoopfuls.

[She places the last cup in the centre.]

Speaker

Let’s work out how many scoopfuls this cup can hold.

[She brings the beans back. She places the cup on the tray. She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 1 finger.]

Speaker

One scoopful.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 2 fingers.]

Speaker

Two scoopfuls.

[She fills the scoop with beans and pours the beans into the cup. She holds up 3 fingers.]

Speaker

Three scoopfuls.

[She takes the beans away. She moves the cup to the side and takes away the tray.]

Speaker

This cup holds three scoopfuls.

[She writes on a piece of paper: This cup holds three scoopfuls. She places the paper under the cup, and moves the cup along with the paper under Baby Bear's cup.

She points to the cup on the left. She points to the cup on the right.]

Speaker

Now, we've worked out this cup holds two scoopfuls and a bit, this cup holds four scoopfuls, this cup holds three scoopfuls

[She points to Baby Bear's cup.]

Speaker

And Baby Bear's holds three scoopfuls.

[She touches the cup under Baby Bear's cup. Then she touches Baby Bear's cup.]

Speaker

That means this cup can hold the same amount as Baby Bear's cup. They both can hold three scoopfuls.

[She touches the cup under Baby Bear's cup.]

Speaker

So, we will use this cup for Goldilocks when she comes for breakfast.

[A title on a white background reads: Over to you, mathematicians…
Bullet points below read:

  • Find some cups or glasses of different shapes
  • Choose one cup to be Baby Bear's cup.
  • Use filling material like sand or pasta to find out how many scoopfuls each cup can hold. Record the number of scoopfuls.
  • Can you find a cup for Goldilocks that can hold exactly the same amount as Baby Bear's cup?

On the right-hand side of the text is an image of Baby Bear's cup and the cup that holds 2 scoopfuls and a bit, with their paper labels.]

Speaker

Over to you, mathematicians. Find some cups or glasses of different shapes, choose one cup to be Baby Bear's cup. Use filling material like sand or pasta to find out how many scoopfuls each cup can hold. Record the number of scoopfuls. Can you find a cup for Goldilocks that can hold exactly the same amount as Baby Bear's cup?

[Text over a navy-blue background: Over to you!]

Speaker

Over to you.

[Text over a navy-blue background: What's (some of) the mathematics?]

Speaker

What's some of the mathematics?

[A title on a white background reads: What's (some of) the mathematics?
Bullet points below read:

  • We can work out how many scoopfuls different shaped cups or containers can hold by counting the number of scoopfuls needed to fill it.
  • We can compare the number of scoopfuls to work out which container holds more, holds less, or holds exactly the same amount.
  • Different shaped containers can hold exactly the same amount.

On the right-hand side of the text is an image of all the cups with their labels.]

Speaker

We can work out how many scoopfuls different shaped cups or containers can hold by counting the number of scoopfuls needed to fill it. We can compare the number of scoopfuls to work out which container holds more, holds less, or holds exactly the same amount. Different shaped containers can hold exactly the same amount.

[Over a grey background, the red waratah of the NSW Government logo appears amongst red, white and blue circles. Text: Copyright State of New South Wales (Department of Education), 2021.] 

[End of transcript]

Instructions

  • Find some cups or glasses you think are of different sizes.​
  • Choose one cup to be Baby Bear's cup.
  • Use filling material like sand or pasta to find out how many scoopfuls each cup can hold. 
  • Record the number of scoopfuls.
  • Can you find a cup for Goldilocks that can hold the same amount as Baby Bear’s cup?​

Category:

  • Mathematics (2022)
  • Stage 1
  • Three-dimensional spatial structure

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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