Mass, Capacity, Temperature - Introducing weight and mass - Planning

The Year 2 curriculum introduces students to the concepts of mass, capacity, and temperature, focusing on the measurement of mass in the first week of the summer term. The National Curriculum objectives for this period include choosing and using appropriate standard units such as kilograms and grams for mass, degrees Celsius for temperature, and litres and millilitres for capacity. Students are expected to estimate and measure using scales, thermometers, and measuring vessels, as well as compare and order masses and volumes, recording their findings with symbols for greater than, less than, and equal to. Key vocabulary such as 'mass', 'weigh', 'balance', 'heavier', and 'lighter' is introduced, with resources like differentiated worksheets, teaching slides, and practical objects to weigh aiding the learning process.

During the lessons, students engage in various activities that help them understand weight and mass. They start by holding objects and describing them as heavy or light, and then use balances to check their assumptions. The children work in pairs to encourage full sentences and logical reasoning when comparing objects. They learn how to use a balance scale and make statements about the mass of objects by observing which side is heavier or lighter. The teaching slides facilitate discussions and problem-solving exercises, prompting students to think critically about their observations. Common misconceptions, such as the assumption that larger objects are always heavier, are addressed. As students progress, they work towards different levels of understanding, from simply identifying the heavier object to making more nuanced comparisons involving minimal differences in mass.