Volume of Composite Figures

Are you looking for an engaging resource to use during your volume unit? Calculating the volume of composite figures can be tricky, but with additional practice, your student will master this concept in no time. Teach Starter has created a set of interactive activities that your students can use when calculating volume. Students will practice determining missing side lengths, counting unit cubes, and calculating the volume where 2 or 3 figures are put together.

The goal of this activity is to practice solving for the volume of composite figures made of multiple rectangular prisms.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your math lessons.

In addition to individual student work time, use this activity to enhance learning through guided math groups, whole class lessons, or remote learning assignments. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, we have a few suggestions for keeping students on track with these concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

For students who need a bit of support, they can work one on one, in a small group, or with a peer tutor. Allow the use of a calculator. Provide completed examples and modify the slides to include less complex shapes and numbers if need be.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

For an added challenge, invite students to build models of various volumes using unit cubes or other materials in the classroom, such as construction paper, index cards, and tape.

🧑‍🏫 Group Learning

Project the slides onto a screen and work through them as a class by having students record their answers in their notebooks or mini whiteboards. 

Plan lessons for all ability levels with our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies! 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PowerPoint, Google Slides, or PDF versions of this resource. 

Assign this interactive activity in Google Classroom. Please be sure to open in Edit mode, not presentation mode. Students will type in correct answers, drag and drop images, connect visuals with lines, etc.

This resource can be used as: 

• Math center
• Lesson warm-ups
• Fast finisher activities 
• Homework assignments

This resource was created by Lorin Davies, a teacher in Texas and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

teaching resource

Volume of Composite Rectangular Prisms Match-Up!

Match equations with composite figures and determine the volume with this match-up activity.

teaching resource

Volume of Composite Rectangular Prisms – Worksheet

Calculate the volume of composite figures and solve real-world problems with this worksheet.