Weight and volume - Introducing capacity and volume - Presentation

The concept of capacity and volume is introduced through a series of engaging activities designed to help students understand and compare the amount of liquid that different objects can hold. The lesson begins with a discussion on what measurement is and the types of measurements students are already familiar with. Students are then presented with various objects, such as a teaspoon, travel mug, glass, teapot, and bucket, and are asked to identify which of these have capacity, meaning they can contain a certain amount of liquid. The activities progress to comparing capacities, prompting students to determine which object has the greatest and least capacity, with the bucket having the most and the teaspoon the least.

Further exploration into the topic leads to defining volume as the amount of space that a liquid occupies. Students are tasked with drawing cups in different states of fullness to visualise volume. They are also encouraged to think of other liquids that can be used to measure capacity and volume, such as squash, tea, milk, juice, oil, perfume, and lemonade. Reasoning activities challenge students to consider the practicality of using different sized measuring tools, such as whether to fill a bucket with a teaspoon or a cup, and the implications for speed and accuracy. The lesson includes hands-on tasks where students physically use spoons or cups to fill containers and a main task that involves finding objects with varying capacities and comparing them. The lesson concludes with a discussion on the meanings of 'capacity' and 'volume' and the language used to describe these concepts.