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

Curriculum content descriptions

Solve problems involving the comparison of lengths and areas using appropriate units (ACMMG137)

Elaborations
  • recognising and investigating familiar objects using concrete materials and digital technologies
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Area,  Length

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'!

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.

Video

BTN: Yes, fashion designers need maths skills!

Are you interested in becoming a fashion designer? Or an architect? Or a pilot? Did you know that you need maths skills to succeed in all of these careers? Watch this video to learn how fashion designer Cristina uses maths in her work. How does architect Thomas use it? And why is maths important to pilot Paul? Can you think ...

Video

Modelling climate changes

There is a saying: 'climate is what you expect and weather is what you get'. |Understanding climate change is very difficult for most people, especially when the weather we experience is different from the information we are given by scientists about the climate changing. The difference is that weather reflects short-term ...

Video

What skills are important for programming robots?

Listen as David McKinnon from UNSW describes some of the skills that are useful to have if you want to program robots. David explains an activity that exercises problem solving skills. Why don't you try doing it? Look at a map and find some towns that are close to yours. Use the scale on the map to work out the distances ...

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 50: How to use a tetrahedron to solve the tree problem

How can you place four trees exactly the same distance apart from one other? By making a model! By using miniature trees to make a model of the problem, it becomes clear that a 2D solution is impossible. We learn how objects can help us visualise the problem situation, which in this case requires a 3D solution: a tetrahedron.

Online

Bee habitat lesson

This lesson plan introduces students to some of Australia's native bee species. Organised in five stages, the lesson plan includes links to videos, scientific and bee-related websites, an information sheet, and downloadable versions of a pictorial slideshow, lesson plan and an assessment rubric. The resource includes suggestions ...

Online

Area and perimeter: Year 6 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 6 is for the topic of Area and perimeter. Students refine their understanding of area and perimeter and establish the formula for the area of a rectangle and use it to solve practical problems.

Downloadable

Fencing the yard

Students review and calculate perimeters and areas of rectangles.

Video

Area and perimeter video

Use this video to connect area and perimeter to real world applications to set the context for why we are learning about area and perimeter.

Downloadable

Ice cream puddles

Use this diagnostic task to assess understanding of area and comparing the area of two shapes using a relevant approach.

Downloadable

What is the area?

Use this diagnostic task to assess what students know about area and using the area formula.

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.

Online

MoneySmart: The fun begins: plan, budget, profit!

This is a unit of work integrating aspects of the year 6 mathematics, English, geography, and economics and business curriculums around planning a nature fun park. The unit is intended to take about eight hours. It consists of eight sets of student activities supported by teacher notes, including mapping, holding discussions, ...

Online

MoneySmart: It's raining cats and dogs...and chickens?

This is a year 6 mathematics unit of work about keeping pets. The unit is intended to take about 12 hours of teaching and learning time, and is recommended for near the end of the school year. It consists of an introduction, seven sets of student activities, and teacher notes. The student activities include building a word ...

Interactive

Sites2See – measurement for primary

Selected links to a range of interactive and print resources for Measurement topics in K-6 Mathematics.

Video

Area of a square and a triangle

Do you know the formula for working out the area of a square? How about a triangle? Watch this short maths video to learn the formulas for both.

Video

Working out the areas

Do you know how to work out the area of a square, a rectangle or a triangle? Learn the simple maths formulas needed from this video. What would be the area of a rectangle with a height of 5cm and a length of 3cm?

Interactive

Playground percentages

Help a town planner to design two site plans for a school. Assign regions on a 10x10 grid for different uses such as a playground, canteen, car park or lawn. Calculate the percentage of the total site used for each region. Use a number line to display fractions and equivalent fractions.

Interactive

The divider: with or without remainders

Solve divisions such as 147/7 or 157/6 (some have remainders). Use a partitioning tool to help solve randomly generated divisions. Learn strategies to do complex arithmetic in your head. Split a division into parts that are easy to work with, use times tables, then solve the original calculation.