Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Comparing readings on different scales (1)

In the "Max Maths" Year 5 curriculum, students learn how to compare measurements using different scales. The lesson begins with an examination of two rulers, one marked in millimetres (mm) and the other in centimetres (cm), to understand how they measure the same length differently. Students are shown that on the millimetre ruler, there are ten small divisions between each 10 mm mark. By observing where the measurement line stops—specifically, at the fourth division after 40 mm—they can determine that the object being measured is 44 mm in length.

Similarly, on the centimetre ruler, there are also ten divisions between each centimetre, with each small division representing 1 mm, just as on the millimetre ruler. When the line stops at the fourth division after 4 cm, students can conclude that the length is 4.4 cm. Through this comparison, pupils learn that 44 mm is the same as 4.4 cm, demonstrating that the two rulers, despite having different scales, measure the same length. This exercise is designed to help children understand how to read and compare different scales and reinforce the concept that different units of measurement can express the same length.