Weight and volume - Compare mass - Planning

The lesson on comparing mass is designed for Year 1 students and is part of the Spring term's 'Weight and volume' curriculum. It introduces children to the concept of mass and how to compare the weight of different objects using non-standard units such as cubes or bricks. The lesson starts with a recap of previous learning, where children use these units to measure mass and understand the concept of balance. They learn that when the balance is level, the mass on both sides is equal, and they use this knowledge to estimate the mass of objects. Through differentiated worksheets and practical activities, the children work in pairs, fostering discussion and the use of complete sentences to articulate their understanding of mass and weight. The lesson is supported by teaching slides, balances, and a variety of objects for weighing, encouraging hands-on exploration and problem-solving.

The practical activities in the lesson guide children to explore the limitations of non-standard units and to consider which objects might be the most sensible to use for measuring mass. They predict the effect of adding or removing units on the balance and learn to adjust the number of units to make the balances level. The lesson also includes reasoning and problem-solving tasks where children determine if the mass represented by a certain number of cubes matches that of an object, such as a bear. Throughout the lesson, key questions prompt students to think critically about the relationship between mass and balance, and the use of classroom objects as measuring units. The lesson wraps up with a reflective 'Give me five' activity, where students consider what they've learned and identify the skills they've used and found challenging. Differentiated outcomes are provided for varying levels of understanding, from working towards the expected level to achieving greater depth by using comparison symbols.