Mass and capacity - Measure mass activity - Presentation

In a lesson focused on mass and capacity, students are introduced to the concept of measuring mass through a series of engaging activities. The lesson starts with a discussion about the different types of equipment that can be used to measure mass, such as balance scales, and how weights can assist in determining the mass of an object. The students are then presented with various pieces of measuring equipment and are tasked with identifying which ones are appropriate for measuring mass. It's clarified that tools like measuring beakers, rulers, and thermometers are not suitable for this purpose.

Using balance scales, students explore practical examples to understand the concept of mass. They are encouraged to predict which items are heavier between pairs such as a carrot and a sweet, or a banana and a peach. Through hands-on activities, they learn that the scale tips to indicate which item is heavier and that a balanced scale signifies equal mass. The lesson also includes an activity where students compare parcels of different sizes to discover that size does not always correlate with mass. Further activities involve making cupcakes and measuring ingredients by mass, as well as creating playdough balls with precise weights, demonstrating that there can be multiple methods to achieve the same mass. The lesson encourages critical thinking by asking students to consider how they could make different masses using only a set of given weights.