TOPIC
Strand: Measures
Strand unit:
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463
464
465
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Estimate, compare, measure and record capacity using appropriate metric units
(¬, m¬) and selecting instruments of measurement.
Rename units of capacity in ¬ and m¬.
Rename units of capacity using decimal and fraction form.
Solve and complete practical tasks and problems involving the addition,
subtraction, multiplication and simple division of units of capacity (¬ and m¬).
Looking back: What the 3rd class programme covered
1. Estimating, comparing, measuring and recording capacity in litres and millilitres.
2. Adding and subtracting litres and millilitres and associated problem solving.
Maths skills used in this topic
1. Communicating and expressing: Communicate and express mathematical ideas, processes
and results in oral and written form.
2. Implementing: Implement standard procedures efficiently with a variety of tools.
Standard measuring containers
Vocabulary
Liquid, litres, millilitres
Teaching points
1. Give the children plenty of opportunities to measure quantities of water. It is through handson measuring that they become truly familiar with capacity. This experience is of huge value in
problem solving by helping them to recognise that an answer might be ‘ridiculous’, e.g. they
wrongly calculate that the capacity of a bottle is 18.7 litres! They should realise that such an
answer is not likely to be right and should be revised.
2. Underpin work involving operations on capacity with real-life action. How much water will we
have if we pour 0.7 litres on top of the 0.8 litres. Let’s do it and see.
The teacher might call out something that can be measured and child identifies what unit
of measurement to use, e.g. milk – litres and millilitres, petrol – litres, ribbon – metres and
centimetres.
100
Target board 9:
What do I need to do to each to reach 1 litre?
Which is the greatest measurement on row 1, row 2, row 3, etc?
Topic suggestions
1. Estimating games are always great fun. For example, to play an individual or team game, with
as many players as you like on a team: Pour a quantity of water into a vessel and the children
have to estimate the amount. The nearer the estimate, the more points are earned. You might
have a scoring scheme as follows:
Within 300m¬ of actual amount: 1 point
Within 200m¬ of actual amount: 2 points
Within 100m¬ of actual amount: 3 points
2. Vary the game by using vessels of different shapes and sizes. You can test their understanding
of conservation by pouring a known amount of liquid from a squat container to a tall container
and asking has the quantity increased or reduced.
Activity A
Place a counter on the picture that best matches the sentence:
1. I am the same as 1 litre. (1,000m¬)
2. Wasting water (running tap) emphasise that brushing teeth is important.
3. I hold 500m¬. (milk carton)
4. I hold about 5m¬. (teaspoon)
5. ____ teaspoons might fill an egg cup. (10)
6. I hold around 400m¬. (cup)
7. Petrol is sold by the ____. (litre)
8. Use these to measure small amounts of liquid. (millilitres)
9. I hold about 50m¬. (eggcup)
1
10. 500m¬ is the same as ____. ( 2 litre)
11. A bath holds ____. (more than 25 litres)
12. You would fit lots of litres in me. (barrel)
Differentiation
Lower attainers:
Refer to photocopiable.
Higher attainers:
Give the children two imaginary containers and ask them to list the quantities they could correctly
measure. The containers should have no markings and should only measure full litre quantities.
For example, suppose you have a 2-litre and a 5-litre container. You could measure:
1. 2¬, 4¬, 6¬, 8¬, 10¬, etc. (i.e. 2 + 2 + 2 …)
2. 5¬, 10¬, 15¬, 20¬, 25¬, etc. (i.e. 5 + 5 + 5 …)
3. 7¬, 14¬, 21¬, 28¬, 35¬, etc.(i.e. 2 + 5 + 2 + 5…)
4. 3¬ (fill the 5-litre container. Fill the 2-litre container from the 5-litre container, leaving 3¬).
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Topic
Topic
26
26
1. Colour these containers to show the correct amounts of liquid.
200m¬
600m¬
1. A cake maker melts a bar of chocolate and finds that there is 380m¬ of chocolate in the bowl.
1
4¬
900m¬
How much chocolate will she have if she melts 6 bars? ______________
2. How much lemonade do I have for the party if I have 3 bottles and each bottle contains 1 12 litres?
______________
3. A painter thins his paint by mixing 750m¬ of paint with 75m¬ of white spirits. He spills 340m¬ by
accident. How much of the mixture has he left? ______________
4. Mr Snoddy drank a mug of tea (290m¬) in the morning and 2 cups of tea (each 240m¬) at lunch
150m¬
950m¬
450m¬
650m¬
break. How much tea did he drink that day? ______________
5. If Mr Snoddy drinks 9 cups of tea at the weekend (240m¬ per cup), how much tea does he drink
altogether over the weekend? ______________
6. Mum uses 25¬ 200m¬ of ecofuel a week (7 days). If she uses the same amount of ecofuel every
day, how much does she use every day? ______________
2. (a) ¬ m¬
2 138
¬ m¬
1 668
(b)
+ 4 258
¬ m¬
8 118
(c)
+ 4 208
(d)
+ 1 119
¬
4
m¬
66
(e)
+ 2 199
7. An ice-cream maker mixes 3 litres of cream with 50m¬ of raspberry ripple flavouring. She tests
¬ m¬
7
3
+ 1 193
60m¬ of the mixture. How much ice-cream has she left? ______________
8. The scientist who invented invisible ink mixed 950m¬ of octopus dye with 60m¬ of a secret
ingredient.
3. (a) ¬ m¬
6 483
– 1 145
(b)
¬ m¬
4 821
– 1 130
(c)
¬ m¬
2 470
– 1 89
(d)
¬ m¬
7 743
– 1 785
(e)
(a) How much invisible ink did she make? ______________
¬ m¬
6 400
– 3 538
(b) How much had she left if she sold
(a) 2¬ 460m¬ = _________
(b) 3¬ 590m¬ = _________
(d) 9¬ 140m¬ = _________
(e) 5¬ 210m¬ = _________
(g) 80m¬
(h) 23¬
5. (a)
¬
1.43
x 8
(b) 4 5.52¬
(c)
(c) 8¬ 110m¬ = _________
= _________
¬
2.76
x 3
(c) 6 8.34¬
(d)
(f) 2¬ 90m¬
= _________
(i) 20m¬
= _________
¬
5.29
x 3
(e)
¬
4.38
x 2
(d) 9 7.83¬
7. Estimate: A bottle of juice contains 1 litre. How many bottles do you think the manager should
buy so that the team (15 players) can have a drink of juice at half-time? ______________
Name: _______________________________________
Date: ___________________
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11. A gardener fills his watering can which holds 2 litres 500m¬ a total of 6 times. How much water
does he give to his plants? ______________
12. A thread maker mixes 55m¬ of dye with 650m¬ of water. She then uses 660m¬ of the mixture.
How much is left? ______________
13. There is 4 litres 860 millilitres in 9 bottles. How much is in each bottle? ______________
14. If 3 litres of milk costs €2.88, how much will I pay for 1 litre? ______________
15. A garden pond has a small waterfall with a pump. 65 litres of water passes through the pump
every 5 minutes. How much water passes through the pump every minute? ______________
16. Estimate: What quantity of milk would you buy for parents’ day? Around 100 people are
expected and each person will be offered tea or coffee. ______________
Name: _______________________________________
Date: ___________________
© Folens Photocopiables
6. (a) 5 7.15¬
(b)
litre of it? ______________
every minute? ______________
10. Find the cost of 1 litre if 6 litres of bottled water cost €5.82. ______________
© Folens Photocopiables
¬
2.60
x 4
= _________
1
2
9. A central heating system pumps 81 litres of water every 5 minutes. How much water is pumped
4. Write as litres using a decimal point, e.g. 3¬ 250m¬ = 3.25¬.
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Linkage
Number: Operations (adding and subtracting)
Integration
SESE Science: Measurement
SESE Geography: Water conservation
Maths at home/parental involvement
Find 5 foodstuffs at home that are measured in litres or millilitres. Write the name and the
quantity, e.g. milk, soft drinks, yoghurts, cooking oil, bottled water, salad dressing and vinegar.
(Keep away from medicines, garden chemicals, agricultural goods, etc.) Can you find a liquid
foodstuff that is sold by weight (e.g. honey)?
Notes
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