Mathematics / Year 6 / Measurement and Geometry / Using units of measurement

Curriculum content descriptions

Convert between common metric units of length, mass and capacity (ACMMG136)

Elaborations
  • identifying and using the correct operations when converting units including millimetres, centimetres, metres, kilometres, milligrams, grams, kilograms, tonnes, millilitres, litres, kilolitres and megalitres
  • recognising the significance of the prefixes in units of measurement
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Kilograms,  Metres

Video

Catalyst: Small scale measurements

What units of measurements do we use to describe incredibly small things like blood cells and atoms? Watch as you are taken on a journey to explain the different units of measurement that we use to describe the very small.

Interactive

Numeracy wrap: The long and the short

In this resource students measure objects of different length in centimetres and millimetres, order lengths from shortest to longest, convert between millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres.

Video

Catalyst: Measuring our coastline

How long is the Australian coastline? See Dr Derek Muller and Simon Pampena discussing the perimeter of the Australian coastline. Find out how the accuracy of that measurement depends on the length of the 'measuring stick' used. They discuss how a coastline is much like a fractal such as 'Koch's Snowflake'!

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Volume and its units of measurement

This is a website designed for both teachers and students that refers to the study of volume and capacity and their units. It contains material on finding the volume of rectangular prisms, the units of volume and capacity, and understanding the connection between volume and capacity. There are pages for both teachers and ...

Downloadable

Drone safety lesson: How close, how far?

This lesson provides an authentic context to develop skills of estimation and measuring length. It provides an opportunity for students to connect decimal representations to the metric system and convert from centimetres to metres, and metres to kilometres. It also provides a context to investigate and become familiar with ...

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Making a large wicking bed

Wicking beds are a fantastic invention, allowing crops to be watered more efficiently. Making a large wicking bed does involve a few steps and some preparation, however the benefits of this extra effort are water conservation, improved plant growth and better crops. The design of the wicking bed also provides opportunities ...

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Living off-grid

This set of learning activities challenges students to create simple, environmentally sustainable solutions that generate energy and produce clean drinking water for living off-grid. Students design and build their solutions as examples of ways to provide these essential services in a developing country, in a developed ...

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From the paddock to the plate

This resource is a cross curriculum unit, focused on Design and Technologies, Maths, and some other areas of the curriculum. Sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority is also emphasised. Topics include All about adaptations; From paddock to plate; Safety, sustainability and technology; The farming environment; Safe ...

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Sustainability

Use this sequence of 5 lessons to connect the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability with Number, Measurement and Statistics. Helping us see the connection between our everyday actions and the larger environmental impact is important for sustainable use of resources. Use the context of water use to learn about the ...

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Osprey bird dimensions

In this lesson, students investigate measurement data related to the osprey. Students represent and interpret data related to wingspan and body length. They investigate patterns in data to describe any relationships. This lesson is the third in a series of six lessons that connect the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability, ...

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Work Unit: Mr Moon’s feathery problem - Calculate

This unit of work provides a rich, contextual activity through which students can explore the applications of measurement (length, area and capacity), to a real problem in an everyday context for Students in Years 5 & 6.

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Converting Decimals Year 6 - Calculate

This task introduces students to a practical situation that involves multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of 10. We want students to focus to use what they know about the measurement in order to explain how to convert them, rather than simply applying a procedure.

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All about adaptations

In this resource, students learn about the production of livestock in Australia including the main regions of production, features and adaptations of common breeds and crossbreeds of cattle, sheep and goats. This lesson is part of a sequence of lessons that can be used with this age-group of students. Topics include All ...

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Nets, shapes … and donuts!

In this lesson, students learn about industrial engineering and explore designing cardboard packaging nets that can be folded into innovative packages.

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Decimals: Adding and subtracting

In this lesson, students learn about place value and how it extends beyond whole numbers. Students play a board game that draws on their knowledge of adding decimals to tenths, hundredths and thousandths with and without regrouping.

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'Mission to Mars' - An AMSI Schools 'Rich Task' in Number & Place Value - Calculate

This task aims provide a rich, contextual activity through which students can gain an understanding of the distances relevant to the size of our solar system, and how an understanding of place value, metric measurement systems and time measurement can be used to represent these large distances and convert calculations ...

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Converting Measures Year 6 - Calculate

The focus of this activity is to find out what students know and understand about length and the metric system.

Downloadable

Convert me

Students explore measurement prefixes and convert between units of measurement.

Video

Decimal fractions video

Use this video to explore decimal fractions, how they are represented and how we use them in day-to-day contexts.

Video

ABC News: Mapping a sea voyage: calculating distance

Scientists involved in the Two Bays Project describe data collection methods for their 20-day expedition around Port Phillip and Western Port bays. Watch this clip to view the route mapped out by the scientists. Use Google Maps to recreate the route and calculate the total distance travelled.