Max Maths, Year 4, Learn together, Measuring length (2)

In a practical maths activity from Max Maths for Year 4, students are learning how to accurately measure and compare lengths. Padma, one of the students, measures her coloured pencil and discovers that it's not as long as Jade's. To determine the precise length, Padma uses a ruler marked in centimetres and millimetres. The ruler shows that her pencil extends beyond the 11 cm mark, reaching up to the fifth small line past it. Since each of these small lines represents 1 mm, this means Padma's pencil is 11 cm and 5 mm in length. To express this measurement in a more streamlined form, the lesson explains that the millimetre portion can be converted into a decimal, making the length of the pencil 11.5 cm. This exercise helps students to understand the relationship between centimetres and millimetres and how to write lengths as decimals.

The activity encourages students to apply this knowledge by referencing their workbooks, where they can find further exercises on pages 173 to 176. These exercises likely involve similar tasks that will reinforce their understanding of measuring lengths in both centimetres and millimetres. The lesson emphasises the concept that there are 10 millimetres in 1 centimetre, and it teaches students how to accurately record measurements using decimals for precision. This is an essential skill in mathematics, providing a foundation for understanding measurements and how to compare different lengths effectively.