Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Imperial units

In the Max Maths curriculum for Year 6, students are introduced to Imperial units, which are a system of measurements commonly used in the United Kingdom and the United States. Unlike the metric system, which uses kilometres for distance, the Imperial system employs miles. For instance, a student shares an anecdote about a holiday in Florida where distances were in miles, and compares it to England where her cousin also uses miles. She mentions that her cousin's school is approximately one and a half miles away, which takes around thirty minutes to walk. To help with understanding the conversion between miles and kilometres, the curriculum provides a helpful ratio: 8 kilometres is equivalent to 5 miles. A conversion table is presented to illustrate common distances in miles and their corresponding lengths in kilometres, ranging from 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) up to 50 miles (80 kilometres).

Furthermore, the curriculum explores the Imperial units used for measuring mass, such as pounds and ounces, alongside the metric counterparts of kilograms and grams. Students are encouraged to try converting between these units by completing a conversion table. For example, the table might start with a conversion of approximately 3.5 ounces to 10 grams. This hands-on activity assists students in becoming familiar with the different units and understanding how to switch between them, a skill that is particularly useful when dealing with recipes, shipping, or any other scenario where mass measurements are required. The lesson aims to equip students with the knowledge to confidently navigate both metric and Imperial measurement systems.