Measuring length, mass and capacity – Year 1 maths lesson
Lesson 16 of 18 in the Year 1 maths course
UK version. UK school years, UK spelling and pounds (£). · US Math Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for Year 1 (ages 5–6) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is marked straight away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 15 min homework
- Year
- Year 1 (ages 5–6)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Marked
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is marked straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to mark anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why does it matter where you start measuring on the ruler?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Starting a measurement at 1 or at the end of the ruler. Put the 0 mark at one end of the object.
- Thinking a bigger object is always heavier. Check with a balance: a pillow is big but light.
Tip for home: Measure and weigh ingredients when cooking together.
What your child will learn
We are learning to compare and measure length, mass and capacity using the right units.
Success looks like
- I can compare lengths, masses and capacities.
- I can measure with a ruler from 0.
- I can choose a sensible unit.
Key words
- length
- how long something is
- mass
- how heavy something is
- capacity
- how much a container holds
- unit
- what we measure in, such as cm or kg
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Measure toys with a ruler, weigh fruit on kitchen scales, and fill jugs with water to compare capacity. No rulers? Use hand spans or cubes to measure instead.
The big ideas (for the adult)
To compare, line things up from the same starting point, or use a balance to see which is heavier.
To measure length with a ruler, start at 0, not at the end of the ruler.
Choose a sensible unit: centimetres or metres for length, grams or kilograms for mass, millilitres or litres for capacity.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Marked by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, marked by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Marked by Classfern |
| Plenary and exit ticket | 6 min | Marked by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are marked by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all marked instantly.
More practice
More Year 1 maths lessons
- Counting objects
- Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s
- One more, one less, ten more and ten less
- Tens and ones
- Numbers in words
- Comparing numbers
- Number lines
- Number bonds to 10 and 20
- Adding and subtracting
- The equals sign and missing numbers
- Adding and subtracting word problems
- Multiplication and division
- Recognising fractions
- Counting money
- Telling the time
- Shapes, position and turns
- Tally charts, pictograms and block diagrams
Curriculum
National Curriculum for England, Year 1: “lengths and heights [for example, long/short, longer/shorter, tall/short, double/half]”
National Curriculum for England, Year 1: “mass/weight [for example, heavy/light, heavier than, lighter than]”
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Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.