Mathematics / Year 5 / Measurement

Curriculum content descriptions

choose appropriate metric units when measuring the length, mass and capacity of objects; use smaller units or a combination of units to obtain a more accurate measure (AC9M5M01)

Elaborations
  • ordering metric units from the largest unit to the smallest; for example, kilometre, metre, centimetre, millimetre
  • recognising that some units of measurement are better suited to some tasks than others; for example, kilometres are more appropriate than metres to measure the distance between \(2\) towns
  • deciding on the unit required to estimate the amount of paint or carpet for a room or a whole building; justifying the choice of unit in relation to the context and the degree of accuracy required
  • measuring and comparing distances, such as jumps or throws using a metre length of string; for example, then measuring the part metre with centimetres and/or millimetres; explaining which unit of measure is most accurate
  • researching how the base units are derived for the International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system of units, recognising that the metric unit names for the attributes, length and mass are international standards for measurement
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Units of measurement,  Length,  Mass,  Volume (Dimensions)

Video

Mixed Up Maths, Ep 1: Monumental measurement mess ups

Did you know that in Australia we use a metric system for measurement? See if you know the units of measurement for length, mass and volume. Find out what system the United States uses. You guessed it - they don't use the metric system! See how a mix up of these units can cause all kinds of mess ups.

Video

The Milky Way

What do you know about the Milky Way? Did you know that there are hundreds of billions of stars in it? Before you embark on your stargazing expedition, watch this video to learn how you can use just your hands and a compass to locate stars in the sky! What is the unit of measurement used when you're measuring distances ...

Video

For the Juniors: Drawing a floor plan

How do we know what a house will look like before it is built? Discover how house plans work by looking at the design of a house that Hugo's family is going to build. See how a floor plan shows the room layout. See drawings of what the house will look like from different views.

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 31: Heavy vs big

How would you measure and compare the weight of something? Learn why big things aren't necessarily heavy. All you need is something heavy and a lot of something light and you’ll be able to prove that weight is not the same as size.

Online

Metric units and using instruments: Year 5 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 5 is for the topic of Metric units and using instruments. Students choose appropriate metric units measuring the length, mass and capacity of objects.

Online

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 ...

Interactive

Sites2See – measurement for primary

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

Downloadable

Kitchen scales

Use this diagnostic task to assess a student's understanding of mass and the graduations on a kitchen scale.

Downloadable

First steps in mathematics: Measurement – Book 2

A guide to teaching about measurement including indirect measuring, and estimating.

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.

Downloadable

Measurement: Foundation to Year 9

This comprehensive resource describes the progression of measurement ideas. The resource demonstrates examples of relevant teaching strategies, investigations, activity plans and connected concepts in measurement including teaching and cultural implications.

Downloadable

First steps in mathematics: Measurement – Book 1

The content of this book is organised into topics including understanding units, and direct measuring.

Downloadable

How heavy is this frog/tin?

Use this diagnostic task to assess understanding of mass and units used to measure mass.

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 ...

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 ...

Online

Lengths and areas

This is a website designed for teachers and students in year 5, and addresses components of the length and area topic. It is particularly relevant for selecting appropriate metric units of measurement for length, perimeter and area, and calculation of the area of rectangles. There are pages for both teachers and students. ...

Interactive

Numeracy wrap: Round the outside

In this resource students will calculate the perimeter of different shapes, choose the appropriate measuring device, make different shapes from given perimeters

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

Mixed Up Maths, Ep 4: Late again!

Ever missed an appointment because you misread a timetable? Well it is easily done if you don't know how to read 24 hour time. In this clip, see how to read 24 hour time and find out where it is commonly used. Look at the other time system used -12 hour time. Find out what those letters 'am' and 'pm' really mean! Compare ...

Video

Mixed Up Maths, Ep 7: Daredevil geometry

What does a daredevil jumps rider need to know about geometry? Find out as we discover angles for take off and for landing. But before we do that sit down for some angles basics! A good place to start is angles of turn through a circle from a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, all the way to one full turn. See how many each represents as an angle.