Estimate, measure, weigh and compare objects, choosing and using suitable uniform non standard or

standard units and measuring instruments (e.g. a lever balance, meter stick or measuring jug)
(Objective repeated in Blocks C & D Units 1, 2 & 3)
• Display two ribbons of different lengths. Ask

Q Which ribbon is the longest? How do you know?

Encourage children to include in their responses the need to compare them. Invite two volunteers to hold the ribbons side by side. Discuss the need
to place the two ends together for accuracy. Repeat with two different objects, e.g. a peg and a pencil. Ask:

Q Which is the longest? How could we check?

• Repeat with objects e.g. paintbrush, pens, board-rubber, and chalk.

• Hold up one of the ribbons and ask the children to name objects in the room that are longer than the ribbon, e.g. door, window, board, table.

Demonstrate comparing the length by measuring the ribbon against the object by placing it alongside edge to edge.

• Repeat the discussion for objects that are shorter than the ribbon. Ask:

Q Which is the shortest? How could we check?

Encourage children to use words like height, width and length.

• Give the children an orange cuisenaire rod between two and a selection of objects to measure. In pairs children compare the rod with the
different objects and decide if they are longer or shorter than the rod. Encourage the children to estimate first. Record by placing the object on
Resource sheet Y1 24 under the right heading.
• Show the children a toy animal and some connecting cubes. Ask a volunteer to come to the front and make a tower of cubes to match the height
of the toy. Count the cubes together and stand the tower up next to the toy. Discuss the idea that there are no gaps, the cubes are end to end
and the first one is placed at the end to be measured.

• Repeat with a different toy encourage the children to estimate first. .

Ask:

Q Which toy is the tallest? How do you know?

Q Which toy is the shortest? How do you know?

Provide the children with interlocking cubes and a variety of toys. In pairs the children should make towers of cubes to find the heights and widths of
the toys. Stand the towers on the table to compare lengths. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of length.
• Hold up pairs of objects in the room that can be compared side-by-side e.g. big book and metre stick.

Ask:

Q Which is longer? How do you know?

• Invite a child to compare them side-by-side. Repeat for other pairs of objects.
• Compare the width of the door to the width of the flipchart.

Ask:

Q How could we check this time?

Bring out the idea of using a repeated small unit to measure each width. Remind the children for the need to place the units end to end.

• Show the children three different units such as a pencil, a cotton reel and a centicube.

Ask:

Q Which of these would be the best unit to use to measure the width of the door?
Ask the children to estimate then measure the width of the door and the width of the flipchart.

Ask:

Q Which is wider? How much wider? How do you know?

• Repeat with two smaller items e.g. a book and a calculator. Show the same three units and ask :

Q Which is the most suitable unit this time?

Focus the discussion on selecting suitable units for measuring. Ask the children to estimate first then measure the items. Repeat the questioning.

• In pairs the children measure the object on Activity sheet Y1 25 with the selected units,

• cotton reels, paperclips and centicubes and record responses on the sheets. Encourage children to estimate first.
Display a selection of everyday measuring units eg. Garden cane, metre stick, rulers, matchsticks etc.

Q Which objects could you measure with matchsticks? Why would that be a suitable unit of measure?
Encourage children to discuss together in pairs first.

Repeat questioning for: garden cane, rulers, metre stick.

Ensure responses focus on appropriate size of unit to object.

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 Q What would be a suitable unit to measure the length of the board? Why?
Repeat paired discussion and response as above. Repeat questioning for height of door, width of table & book.

• Tell the children we can use our body parts to measure length – feet, hand spans, arm length.

Q What would be a suitable body part to measure the length of the room? Why? (feet)
Remind children of the rules for measuring length.
• No gaps
• No spaces
• No overlaps

Get two children to measure the length of the room using their feet. Other children to help keep the count. Teacher to record measurement on
board.

Q If we use hand spans, would we need to use the same number of units as if feet were the unit?

Q If we used the teacher’s hand span, would we use the same number? Why?
Response to include comparison of difference in size.

• Children, in groups, use cut out hand spans from Resource sheet Y1 26 to estimate and measure different objects in the room and record
measurements using Activity sheet Y1 27.

Remind the children of the three measuring rules used before. Emphasise the hand span is the distance between the end of the thumb to tip of little
finger.
Select two parcels of different weights and pass them around the children.
Ask:

Q Which is heavier? Which is lighter? How do you know?

Collect their responses (“The heavy one made my hand drop.”).
Show the children the pan balances and hold each one of the parcels above each of the pans.
Ask:

Q What do you think will happen when I put the parcels on the pan balances?
Take responses.

Q Were you right?

Establish that the heaviest parcel makes the pan go down.
Repeat the activity with the other two parcels. If possible the heaviest parcel should be smaller than the other one.
Repeat the questions.
Ask:

Q How could we find out which is the heaviest parcel.

Ensure their responses include comparing the two heaviest parcels by putting them on the pan balances, Comparing the lightest pair and then
comparing the middle pair.
Ask:

Q Can we put them in order from the heaviest to the lightest? Which is the heaviest? Which is the lightest? How do you know?
In groups, children compare the weights of each of the four parcels. They take turns to hold them to estimate the heaviest and the lightest. Using the
pan balances they weigh the parcels to establish the heaviest and lightest and try to put the four parcels in order of weight. Use Resource sheet to
place the parcels on to record their findings.

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• Pass around a toy and an object that is obviously heavier than the toy. Ask:

Q Which is heavier? How do you Know?

Pass around two toys where the difference in weight is not obvious.
Ask:

Q Which is the heaviest? How could we check?

Discussion should bring out scales or a pan balance. Hold each of the toys over each of the pans of the balance and ask:

Q If this toy is the heaviest what will happen to this pan? If the other toy is heavier, what will happen to that pan?
Ensure children can predict, then place the toys on the pan balance and record the result on the board: Toy A is heavier than toy B.
Ask if there is another way to weigh the toys. Discussion should bring about the idea that we could use cubes or pegs but we need to use identical
units each time.
Hold up a toy and ask:

Q How many cubes (pegs, washers) do you think will balance this? How could we check?
Place the toy on one of the pans. Invite a volunteer to help you to drop cubes, one at a time, onto the other pan. Get the whole class to count as
they are dropped. They should tell you when the pans are balanced. Ask:

Q Is the balance level yet? How many cubes balance the toy?
If the pan doesn’t exactly balance encourage the children to use expressions like: about 15 cubes or just over 15 cubes.
Repeat with other toys and other units.
Give the children a selection of objects to weigh with cubes or pegs etc.. Encourage them to estimate first and then record their findings using
Resource sheet Y1 29.
In groups children compare their results to find which were the heaviest /lightest objects.
Choose an object to weigh.
Ask:

Q How many cubes will balance this toy? How could we check? How many pegs will balance the toy? Why is it a different number of cubes and
pegs?

Have a selection of objects and units for weighing. Select an object that is obviously heavier than the toy e.g. a book. Ask:

Q Which is the best unit to use to balance the book? Why?

The discussion should focus on the heavier the object the larger (heavier) the unit.
Select an obviously lighter object e.g. pen and repeat the question:

Q Which is the best unit to use to balance the pen? Why?

The discussion should focus on the lighter the object the smaller (lighter) the unit.
• Repeat with objects of different masses and encourage the children to suggest suitable units for measuring. Children should explain their
choice of unit.
• Give the children a selection of objects and a selection of non-standard units, e.g. pegs, cubes, washers, conkers. In groups children should
select suitable units to balance the objects and record their findings on Resource sheet Y1 30.
• Hold up pairs of objects in the room that can be compared by handling them.

Ask:

Q Which is heaviest? How do you know?

• Invite a child to compare them by holding one in each hand, e.g. heaviest item in left hand

Ask:

Q How do you know which object is heaviest?

Emphasise the fact that the left hand will drop lower than the right if the heaviest item is held in the left hand.

Introduce the children to the balance scales and demonstrate comparing the weight of two objects using the balance.

Bring out the idea of using a repeated small unit to measure each mass, such as multilink cubes

Ask:

Q How could we use the cubes and balance scales to find the weight of the objects?
Ask the children to estimate how many multilink cubes would be required to balance the object and the demonstrate how to balance the object with
the cubes, counting how many cubes are required to make the scales balance.

Record this on the board with the pupils.

Repeat with other items, firstly asking children to estimate. Record findings on the board.

Ask the children to estimate first then measure the items. Repeat the questioning.

• In pairs the children balance selected objects with cubes, recording their findings on activity sheet Y1 31.

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Display a selection of everyday non - standard units for measuring mass, units eg. Cubes, beads, counters, coins, etc.

Q Which objects could you weigh with beads? Why would that be a suitable unit of measure?
Encourage children to discuss together in pairs first.

Repeat questioning for cubes, counters, coins, etc.

Ensure responses focus on appropriate size of unit to object.

Q What would be a suitable unit to measure the weight of a shoe? Why?

Repeat paired discussion and responses as above. Repeat questioning for other everyday items in the classroom.

Show children two parcels from a selection and ask

Q How could you tell if the red parcel is heavier than the blue one?
Collect responses from the children, encouraging them to think about their hands and balance scales.

Ask

Q What could we use to measure the weight of the parcel?

Choose a suitable unit with the pupils, use the balance and non-standard units to weigh the parcels and record the measurement with the children.

Children, in groups, choose parcels from a selection and predict which parcel they feel is heavier. Children should then directly compare the two
objects using balance scales, then use non-standard uniform units to measure the mass of each object.

Children should use large sheets of paper to record their finding as a group.
Choose containers of different sizes.
Ask:

Q What can you tell me about these containers?

Encourage the children to describe each container, including shape and size, what it might have held. Ensure the discussion establishes the idea
that the containers held liquids or other substances.
Ask the children to order the containers according to size: tallest to shortest, then widest to narrowest.
Ask:

Q Which container will hold the most? Why?

Explain the word capacity means how much a container holds or the amount that fits inside. Establish that one container is bigger if it holds more.
Ask:

Q Which container will hold the least? Why?

Ask:

Q Can we sort the containers by how much they hold?

Choose two different sized containers e.g. a cup and a bottle.
Ask:

Q Does the bottle hold more than the cup, less than the cup or the same as the cup?
Repeat discussion for different containers compared to the cup. Establish the difficulty of comparing different sized and shaped containers by eye.
Ask the children to give suggestions for better ways to measure them, to include filling the cup and pouring it into the container. Ask a volunteer to
help to demonstrate pouring carefully. Emphasise filling the container to the top and pouring without spilling.

Give each group sets of labelled containers, rice, peas or sand and funnels and a cup. The children should compare each container to the cup to
find out which containers hold more, less or the same as the cup. They should record their measurements by writing the letters of the containers
under the headings on Resource sheet Y1 32.
• Display two containers of different sizes. Ask:

Q Which container holds the most? How do you know?

Encourage children to include in their responses the need to compare them, e.g. to fill one container and pour it into the other.
Ask:

Q What do you think will happen?

Discuss predictions using vocabulary full, half full, nearly full, left over etc.

Invite two volunteers to fill one of the containers and pour it carefully into the other. (using a funnel if necessary).

Discuss results. Ask:

Q Which container holds more?

Repeat with two different containers.
Ask:

Q What could you do to put the containers in order of size by how much they hold?
Take suggestions that include measuring the capacities by filling and pouring.

Provide the children with sets of mixed containers, about five per group, and a funnel.
Set the children the challenge to order the containers by capacity from smallest to largest. Encourage them to estimate first.

• Record by placing the containers on the table and using labels from Resource sheet Y1 33 to show the greatest and least capacity.

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• Hold up two containers of similar shape and size.
Ask:

Q Which container holds the most?

How could you find out without pouring from one container to the other?

Take feedback. Ensure the response includes using another smaller container to fill and pour and count how many. Ask for suggestions. Provide an
egg cup, paper cup or lid for the children to select from after the discussion.

Invite two volunteers to demonstrate filling and pouring, using a funnel if necessary. Record a tally of the measures for the two containers.
Ask:

Q Which container holds the most? How do you know?

Hold up a smaller measure e.g. egg cup, and ask:

Q What will happen if we use this measure? How do you know?

Repeat the measuring activity with the smaller measure keeping a tally.

Compare the results with the children and ask:

Q Why did it take more egg cups than paper cups to fill each container?

Provide each group with a different measure and a few containers (similar containers for each group if possible). Ask them to measure and tally to
find out which container holds the most. Encourage children to use the vocabulary of capacity and to estimate first. Use Activity sheet Y1 34 to
record findings.
Show the children a bucket and a variety of other containers. Ask the children

Q Which of the containers do you think we could use to fill the bucket with water?

Ensure that the children’s responses are sensible.

Encourage the children to estimate.

Q How many containers full of water do you think we would need to fill the bucket?

Ask a child to demonstrate how many of the smaller container would fill the bucket. Explain how to measure accurately, ie. container full each time
and all liquid poured into the bucket.

Continue using other containers.

Stress the importance of using appropriate uniform units.

Ask:

Q Would it be sensible to use a thimble to measure how much this bucket holds? Why? Why not?

In Groups, ask pupils to complete Activity sheet Y1 35 encouraging them to select appropriate containers that they could use as a non-standard
uniform unit to measure how much each container holds.
Show the pupils a range of containers and as a class sort the containers into order by size. Revise the vocabulary full, half full, empty, etc.

Discuss how to order the containers by size

Q Which do you think holds more/less? Why? What helps you to decide?

Show pupils the litre measure and ask

Q What did you find at home that holds more or less than a litre?

Q How did you decide whether a container holds more or less than a litre?

As a class, sort the containers by estimation into more than or less than a litre. Record on the board with the pupils.

Q How can we check if the order of our estimates is correct?

Demonstrate how to use the litre measure to measure one of the containers (ask children to help with the counting). Show the children how to
record their measurements as about a litre, more than a litre or less than a litre.

In groups, give the children 3 containers, with the labels removed. Ask pupils to estimate whether the container would hold about a litre, more than a
litre or less than a litre.

Children then measure the capacity of each container and record their results. They then measure using the litre measure and order them according
to their actual capacities.
Remind pupils of the importance of using uniform non-standard or standard units when estimating and measuring capacity.
Ask

Q. What are the important things that we need to remember when we are finding out how much a container holds?

Recap use of litre as a standard unit for measuring capacity and look at items from previous day’s lesson, which contained more or less than a litre.
Ask

Q. How can you tell that this container holds more / less than a litre?

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Using the litre container as a benchmark, demonstrate the capacity of two containers, one holding more than a litre and one holding less than a litre.

Children then work in groups using cards from Activity sheet Y1 36. Children select a card and work though the answers together, using practical
resources if appropriate.

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 24

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 25

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 26

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 27

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 28

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 29

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 30

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 31

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 32

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 33

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 34

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 35

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ACTIVITY SHEET Y1 36

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