Length and height - Measure length 2 - Planning

In the second week of the Spring term for Year 1, the focus of the lesson is on the concept of measuring length using standard units. The objective is for children to transition from non-standard units of measurement to using a ruler to measure objects accurately. Key vocabulary such as 'measure', 'longer', 'shorter', 'longest', and 'shortest' are introduced to help build the students' understanding of comparative lengths. The lesson begins with a starter activity that recaps previous learning, ensuring that the children understand the importance of using a standard unit of measurement and the necessity to start measuring from the 0cm mark on the ruler.

During the class, the children engage in practical activities where they measure a selection of objects with a ruler, learning to align the objects correctly with the 0cm mark and to read the scale accurately, even when the object's length does not end exactly on a centimetre division. Challenges such as determining the length of an object that falls between two centimetre marks are addressed by teaching the concept of half centimetres. The lesson also includes reasoning and problem-solving exercises, where students must deduce the length of objects based on given clues. To consolidate learning, the plenary involves a 'Give me five' reflection where children articulate what they have learned, the skills they have used, and any difficulties they encountered. Differentiated worksheets cater to varying levels of proficiency, from understanding basic ruler use to solving problems with missing numbers and measuring from points other than 0cm on the ruler.