Module 5 Measuring
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Can I explain the relationships between kilometres and metres, metres and centimetres, kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres?

Example review questions

  • How many metres in a kilometre, grams in a kilogram, millilitres in a litre?
  • Can you fill in the gaps?
    • 100 cm = Emtpy box m
    • Emtpy box cm = 1/2 m
    • Emtpy box g = 2 kg
  • If you had a 4-litre container of milk, how many millilitres would that be?
  • Would you expect:
    • a handspan to be 5, 15 or 50 cm wide;
    • a new-born baby to weigh 3 kg or 30 kg;
    • a teapot to hold 1 litre, 10 litres or 100 litres?
  • Is the capacity of this bottle bigger or smaller than one litre? About how many millilitres do you think it would hold?

Teaching guidance

This teaching guidance document suggests some of the key vocabulary, models, images and practical equipment that children should experience and be able to use. It also includes some teaching tips to provide a few starting points for ways of supporting children with this area of mathematics.

DOC file Can I explain the relationships between kilometres and metres, metres and centimetres, kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres? - teaching guidance | 112KB new window

Consolidation and practice

These resources are to support children in guided or independent work. Roll over the highlighted resources for a description.

PDF file How to use measuring cylinder ITP | 171KB new window

SWF file Measuring cylinder ITP | 50KB new window

PDF file How to use measuring scales ITP | 151KB new window

SWF file Measuring scales ITP | 67KB new window

DOC file Converting units of measure guide | 103KB new window

XLS file Converting units of measure | 133KB new window

DOC file Loop cards measurement facts resource | 32KB new window

DOC file Understanding units of length teaching prompts | 32KB new window

Measuring cylinder

itp_measuring_cylinder.png

This interactive teaching program (ITP) is an ICT-based tool to support the exploration of number, measures and problem solving. Measuring cylinder ITP allows the child or teacher to simulate varying intervals on a scale, pouring liquid into the cylinder and interpreting the scale. The ITP can be used to explore and consolidate the interpretation and reading of scales, mental calculation strategies and methods of recording.

Measuring scales

itp_measuring_scales.png

This interactive teaching program (ITP) is an ICT-based tool to support the exploration of number, measures and problem solving. Measuring scales ITP allows the child or teacher to add different masses of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 units to a scale pan. The scale intervals can be changed to challenge children to interpret different scales.

Opportunities to use and apply

Possible contexts include:

  • length, e.g. Work out a route in the school grounds where a kilometre walk could take place.
  • length, e.g. Make towers of bricks or boxes that are of a given size (60 cm, half a metre high), make a paper snake 2½ m long.
  • mass, e.g. Four potatoes weigh about a kilogram. Approximately how much will 10 potatoes weigh, in kilograms? How much in grams?
  • capacity, e.g. A cup holds 200 ml. Work out how many cups can be filled from a 2-litre jug of drink. How many jugs will be needed to fill 30 cups?
 

Confirming learning

Ask probing questions such as:

  • Sort these units into sets for mass, length and capacity, then put each set in order of size of unit. How did you go about this?
    Units of measurement. From left to right: g, mm, km, ml, kg, cm, l, m.
  • Sort these measurements by size.
    Five measurements: 1000m, 2km, 3cm, half m, 40cm.
    How did you know what order they came in? Were there any that were quite difficult to sort out? Provide similar cards for mass and capacity.
  • Which would be heavier, 1/2 kilogram or 50 g?
  • Can you tell me another way to say 500 ml, 2 kg, 1/4 metre?