Weight and volume - Compare mass - Starter

In a mathematics lesson tailored for Year 1 pupils during the Spring term, children are introduced to the concept of mass through a series of engaging activities. The lesson begins with a 'Fluent in Four' revision exercise, which serves as a warm-up to get the young learners thinking about numbers and calculations. They are presented with simple arithmetic problems, such as "19 – 5" and "Nine add six", to solve. This helps to sharpen their mental maths skills and sets the stage for the day's learning objective.

Following the warm-up, students are encouraged to apply their understanding of numbers to real-world concepts by completing sentences related to mass. For example, they determine the mass of a cake by counting cubes, fostering their ability to quantify and compare weights. The lesson also includes a comparison activity where children are asked to decide who has more of a certain item or which object is heavier. Through this exercise, students compare the mass of different objects, such as a penguin and a bag, by relating them to known quantities like the number of dogs that equate to their weight. This practical approach to learning about mass and comparison not only reinforces their counting skills but also introduces foundational concepts of measurement.