Max Maths, Year 3, Learn together, Converting between centimetres and metres, and between metres and kilometres (3)

In a Year 3 mathematics lesson from Max Maths, students explore the concept of converting between different units of length: centimetres, metres, and kilometres. The lesson presents a practical scenario in which students are tasked with calculating the total length of a walking track composed of two different parts: a sealed section and a gravel section. The sealed part of the track measures 2 kilometres (km), while the gravel part extends for 1,300 metres (m). To determine the entire length of the walk, students must first convert the measurements into a common unit.

Students begin by converting the sealed track's length from kilometres to metres, using the knowledge that 1 km equals 1,000 m. Therefore, 2 km is equal to 2,000 m. Next, they add this to the length of the gravel track, which is already given in metres. By combining the two lengths—2,000 m from the sealed track and 1,300 m from the gravel track—they find the total distance of the walking track. The calculation is straightforward: 1,300 m plus 2,000 m equals 3,300 m. Through this exercise, students learn to convert and add different measures of length, concluding that the entire walking track is 3,300 metres long.