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Year 4 Block D - Calculating, measuring and understanding shape Unit 3

Objectives

Children's learning outcomes are emphasised
Assessment for learning
  • Solve one-step and two-step problems involving numbers, money or measures, including time; choose and carry out appropriate calculations, using calculator methods where appropriate

    I can choose what calculation to work out and I can decide whether a calculator will help me
    I can work out how to solve problems with one or two steps
    I can solve problems involving measures and time

It takes Chris 4 minutes to wash a window. He wants to know how many minutes it will take him to wash 8 windows at this rate. He should:
A multiply 4 × 8
B divide 8 by 4
C subtract 4 from 8
D add 8 and 4
How did you know which of these to choose?
Maria has half a litre of orange juice. She fills some glasses by pouring 100 ml of orange juice into each of them. How many glasses does Maria fill?
What calculation did you do? Did you use a calculator? Why/why not?
Did you have to do anything to your answer to make it fit with the problem? Tell me what you did.

  • Refine and use efficient written methods to add and subtract two-digit and three-digit whole numbers and £.p

    I can use written methods to add and subtract measurements made in our classroom

What tips would you give to someone to help them with column addition/subtraction?
Which of these are correct? What has this person done wrong? How could you help them to put it right?

  • Draw rectangles and measure and calculate their perimeters; find the area of rectilinear shapes drawn on a square grid by counting squares

    I can find the area of shapes by counting squares

The perimeter of a rectangle is 24 cm. What could its area be?
Draw a rectangle with an area of 28 cm2. Is there more than one way of doing this?
Leon's grid has two shaded shapes.
A net of tessellated triangles with shading to show 2 polygons of different sizes
Leon says: 'Shape A has a larger area than shape B.' Explain how he could have worked this out.

  • Know that angles are measured in degrees and that one whole turn is 360degrees; compare and order angles less than 180degrees

    I know if an angle is smaller than 180degrees
    I can put a set of angles in order, from smallest to largest
    I can estimate in degrees the size of an angle less than a right angle

Look at these six angles.
Six angles at different degrees including a right angle and obtuse angle
Which is the smallest angle?
One of the angles is a right angle. Which is a right angle?
One of the angles is an obtuse angle. Which is an obtuse angle?

  • Use decimal notation for tenths and hundredths and partition decimals; relate the notation to money and measurement; position one-place and two-place decimals on a number line

    I can order decimals on a number line

Tell me what the digit 4 represents in each of these amounts:
4.3 l, 0.4 l.
Which is larger: 300 ml or 0.25 litre? How do you know?
What is 0.1 litre in millilitres?

  • Choose and use standard metric units and their abbreviations when estimating, measuring and recording length, weight and capacity; know the meaning of 'kilo', 'centi' and 'milli' and, where appropriate, use decimal notation to record measurements
    (e.g. 1.35 m or 0.6 kg)

    I can estimate and measure a capacity
    I know the relationship between litres and millilitres
    I can write a capacity in litres using a decimal point

Estimate the capacity of this bucket. Of this egg cup.
Tick (tick) the correct box. A can of drink holds about...

square 0.3 litre
square 3 litres
square 30 litres
square 300 litres

What unit would you use to measure the capacity of a washing-up bowl? Of a can or a tea cup?
Can you tell me another way to say or write 3 litres? What about 500 millilitres?
Which would you prefer, Three quarters of a litre or 650 ml of lemonade? Why?
Look at these cards. They have capacities in litres or millilitres.
2 litres, 20 ml, One half litre, 1.5 litre, 700 ml
Put the cards in order from the smallest to the largest. How did you order the cards? Why did you put this measurement here? Were any of the measurements hard to order? Why?

  • Interpret intervals and divisions on partially numbered scales and record readings accurately, where appropriate to the nearest tenth of a unit

    I can read the scale on a measuring cylinder or measuring jug

This jug has water in it.
A jug of water showing marks from 100 to 500 millilitres with the water reaching 500 millilitres
I am going to pour 150 millilitres of water out of the jug. How much water will be left in the jug?

  • Read time to the nearest minute; use am, pm and 12-hour clock notation; choose units of time to measure time intervals; calculate time intervals from clocks and timetables

    I can solve time problems where I have to work out start and finish times
    I can use a timetable

Estimate how long your favourite TV programme lasts. Use a television guide to work out how close your estimation was.
It takes 35 minutes to walk from home to school. I need to be there by 8:55 am. What time do I need to leave home?
How much does it cost to hire a rowing boat for three hours?

Boat Hire
Motor boats
£1.50 for 15 minutes
Rowing boats
£2.50 for 1 hour

Sasha pays £3.00 to hire a motor boat. She goes out at 3:20 pm. By what time must she return?
Explain how you solved this problem. Could you have done it in a different way?

  • Take different roles in groups and use the language appropriate to them, including roles of leader, reporter, scribe and mentor

    I can play the role of ... in group work
    I can work as a member of a group to plan a bus timetable

Discuss in your group how to plan a bus timetable from school to the town centre. I would like ... to be the group leader, ... to take notes and ... to draw any table that you need.
Tell me about the contribution you made to the group work.

Learning overview

Children use the meaning of milli (one thousandth) to help remember the relationship between litres and millilitres. In practical work, they choose and use appropriate units to estimate and measure capacity. They make statements such as: 'This container will hold about half as many small cubes as this one', or: 'This small bottle holds about 25 ml teaspoons of water'. They take on different roles to read and record measurements. They estimate, measure and compare the capacity of different containers, reading a range of partly numbered scales to the nearest division. They get extra practice using the ITP 'Measuring cylinder'.

A screen shot from the ITP 'Measuring cylinder'

Children make measurements of lengths and heights in centimetres and millimetres and practise estimating before measuring. They make comparisons and calculate differences and totals.

Children solve problems involving units of time, explaining and recording how the problem was solved. For example: Raiza got into the pool at 2:26 pm. She swam until 3 o'clock. How long did she swim? They count on to find the difference between two given times, using a number line or time line where appropriate.

Children work in groups to find information in timetables and calculate time intervals. For example, they use a class timetable to find out how much time they spend on mathematics during a day/week, and they look at simple bus/train timetables to see how long a journey takes.

Children use their calculation strategies to solve one- and two-step problems involving measures. They decide whether to use mental, mental with jottings, written methods or a calculator to find the answer. For example:

Tins of dog food cost 42p. They are put into packs of 10. How much does one pack of dog food cost? 10 packs?
A can of soup holds 400 ml. How much do 5 cans hold? Each serving is 200 ml. How many cans would I need for servings for 15 people?
I spent £4.63, £3.72 and 86p. How much did I spend altogether?
A string is 6.5 metres long. I cut off 70 cm pieces to tie up some balloons. How many pieces can I cut from the string?
A jug holds 2 litres. A glass holds 250 ml. How many glasses will the jug fill?
Dean saves the same amount of money each month. He saves £149.40 in a year. How much money does he save each month?

When they solve problems, children use their understanding of the relationships between units to convert measurements to the same unit.

Children continue to develop their understanding of angle. They recognise when an angle is less than 180 degrees. They use a 45-degree or 60-degree set-square to draw and measure angles of 90, 60, 45 and 30 degrees. They compare the size of angles, for example estimating whether an angle is greater than 60degrees, between 60degrees and 30degrees, or less than 30degrees. They use their set-square to check.

Children find the area of rectilinear shapes by counting squares. For example, they draw irregular shapes on centimetre square grids, and compare their areas and perimeters.
They compare the perimeter and area of squares and rectangles by measuring the lengths of the sides to the nearest centimetre and calculating the area, using a calculator where appropriate.

Squared paper with three irregular shapes marked out taking up six, seven and eight squares each


Resource links to existing published material

Mathematical challenges for able pupils Key Stages 1 and 2

Activities

 

None currently available

Intervention programmes
Springboard units

None currently available

Supporting children with gaps in their mathematical understanding (Wave 3)

Diagnostic focus

Resource

Does not make sensible decisions about when to use calculations laid out in columns

3 Y4 plus/-
DfES 1130-2005 (PDF 101KB)

Has difficulty with adding three numbers in a column

4 Y4 plus/-
DfES 1131-2005 (PDF 95KB)

Click here for information on different file formats and their usage.

Wave 3 addition and subtraction tracking children's learning charts

PDF 161KB RTF 930KB Word 315KB

Wave 3 multiplication and division tracking children's learning charts

PDF 195KB RTF 1.3MB Word 430KB

Wave 3 Resource sheets and index of games booklet

PDF 500KB
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