Horrendous Soup

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Mathematics

Grade(s)

5

Overview

Horrendous Soup is a game in which students have to make a recipe for the most disgusting soup they can imagine. Students progress through the game by adding ingredients to the soup. Some of the ingredients are measured in capacity, some are measured in mass, and some are measured in distance. This is a way to reinforce metric conversion skills. To successfully print out the recipe, students must demonstrate the ability to convert the amounts of ingredients to other metric units. For example, liters to milliliters and vice versa, grams to milligrams and vice versa, and millimeters to centimeters to meters.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
After/Explain/Elaborate
Mathematics (2019) Grade(s): 5

MA19.5.17

Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real-world problems.

UP:MA19.5.17

Vocabulary

  • Measurement system
  • US Customary
  • Metric
  • Unit
  • Conversion
  • Equivalent measurements

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies for converting a larger unit of measure to a smaller unit in the same system.
  • Relative size of customary and metric units of measure.
  • Strategies for converting between units of measure in the same system.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Convert measurement units.
  • Solve multi-step word problems involving measurement conversions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • the multiplicative relationship between units of measures given in the same measurement system is essential when converting units to a larger or smaller unit.

Learning Objectives

Students will convert units of capacity, mass, and distance using the metric system. 

Activity Details

This activity can be used as a practice tool during instruction on metric conversations, or as a quick assessment after the lesson has occurred. It cannot be used to teach the conversions themselves but should be used as a follow-up after students have learned the conversions. Students will play the game Horrendous Soup, in which students have to make a recipe for the most disgusting soup they can imagine using metric conversions.

Below the game are additional resources and interactives for students who may need additional support and practice on metric conversions. 

Assessment Strategies

Beneath the game (on the same webpage) there are brief pdf assessments that can be used as quick exit tickets after playing the game. Teachers may also choose to use the game itself as an assessment and have students save or screenshot their correct recipe to be turned into the teacher. 

Background / Preparation

Teachers should play this game before showing it to students. When presenting it to the students, you will want to remind students not to spend too much time choosing the ingredients for their soup, as the "meat" of this interactive is after the students have chosen their ingredients. 

Note that students will only be given one opportunity to correct their recipe after submitting their initial responses before they will have to start over. This may become frustrating quickly for students who are struggling to accurately convert the measurements. 

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