Length and Perimeter - Add lengths​ - Planning

In a Year 3 mathematics lesson focused on adding lengths, students are encouraged to develop their understanding of measurement and addition. The lesson aims to help children learn how to combine lengths in different units, such as metres and centimetres, by converting them to the same unit to simplify addition. The key vocabulary for the lesson includes terms like length, height, metres, centimetres, and add. Students begin with a starter activity that involves answering questions to recap prior learning and then engage in practical partner work. For instance, they might use cubes to represent towers of different heights and compare them, fostering an understanding of how to combine measurements efficiently through column addition or mental strategies.

Further activities challenge students to find the combined heights of objects and to solve problems that require careful reading and the application of addition strategies. They are prompted to consider why using the same unit of measure makes addition easier and how to estimate distances effectively. A reasoning task encourages the use of coloured cubes to represent lengths, enhancing their ability to visualise and calculate combined lengths in various ways. The lesson concludes with independent work on differentiated worksheets, tailored to the students' levels of understanding, from adding simple lengths in the same or different units to tackling more complex problems involving the addition of multiple lengths. Throughout the lesson, children are asked to reflect on what they've learned, the skills they've used, and what they found challenging, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of adding lengths and converting measurements.