Mass Unit Plan

Learning Area: Maths Year Level: 2/3

Strands: Measurement –Mass Proposed Duration: 6 lessons

Key Ideas:
Year 2
Children construct concepts of size and measurable attributes by comparing a wide variety of familiar
figures, objects and events drawn from the world around them.

Year 3
Students refine their concepts of measurable attributes and units of comparison. They choose the
most appropriate attributes and units to quantify 2-D figures, 3-D solids and time for a wide variety of
purposes, and are able to justify their choices to others.

Standard Outcome:
Year 2
1.4 - Compares and orders the measurable attributes of distance, surface, space, mass, turn/angle and
time to describe the size of a wide range of familiar figures, objects and events.

Year 3
2.4 - Chooses, estimates and uses metric units to measure attributes of figures and objects; orders
events or cycles of events; estimates the duration and time of events; constructs and uses measuring
tools, explains that all measurement is approximate and that some tools increase precision.

Essential Learnings: Key Competencies:

 Identity – a sense of personal and group identity  KC1 – using information
 Thinking – a sense of creativity, wisdom and enterprise  KC2 – communicating ideas
 Interdependence – a sense of being connected with others  KC3 – planning & organising
and their world  KC4 – working in teams
 Futures – a sense of optimism about their ability to shape  KC5 – using maths
their futures  KC6 – solving problems
 Communication – a sense of the power and potential of  KC7 - using technology
literacy, numeracy and ICT
Key Questions:
What is mass?
How do I measure mass?
When do we use mass in everyday life?

Tasks for Enquiry:

Lesson 1
Introductory lesson. Provide mystery packages, same size but different weights. Have the students
find packages that are the same weight, place packages from lightest to heaviest, put 4 parcels in
order from lightest to heaviest and find two parcels which together feel the same as one other
package. Weigh objects on balancing scales to see if paired objects were the same weight.
Give students the opportunity to do something else with their packages.
Lesson 2
Introduce grams as a means of weighing objects
Weigh the mystery packages used in lesson 1, read the weight. Provide students with the opportunity
to understand that lighter objects are weighed in grams. Write the weights on the mystery packages.
Provide students with other objects, allow them to compare the differences of the objects and
estimate the weights of the other objects.
Ensure I ask the students which objects are heavier than other objects after they know their weights,
so they are able to sort when they know the weight too, not just from lifting the objects

Lesson 3
Introduce kilograms to weigh heavier objects. Describe that 1000g is 1kg
Weigh objects that are over 1 kg. Round to nearest kilogram. Record the weights. Year 3’s to write in g
and kg.
Have students compare other objects to weighed objects and estimate their weight.
Ensure students use comparative language, heavier, lighter, heavy, heaver and heaviest

Lesson 4
Talk about how big doesn’t mean heavy. Compare beach ball, cricket ball and a balloon
Have objects of different sizes and without holding objects ask the students which objects they think
would be heavier or lighter than other objects.
Then allow the students to compare the weights of objects.
Use the scales to weigh the objects and record their weights.

Lesson 5
Another lesson on kilograms
?? Students weights ??

Lesson 6
Reminder of what types of things are weighed in g and kg
Provide students with worksheet of different objects, ask them to write whether they would weigh
these objects in g or kg
Provide students with objects of different sizes and estimate the lightest- heaviest objects

Year 2
Mass
Begins to understand and use mathematical terms, g, kg
Can determine what to use to measure something, ie g or kg
Comparative language, heavier and lighter

Year 3
Mass
Sorts, classifies, orders, describes and pairs objects by mass, g and kg
Estimates, measures, compares and records mass up to 2kg (written in g and kg)
Measures in g & kg up to 5kg
Knows 1000g is 1kg
Uses comparative language, heavy, heavier, heaviest
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to sort objects in order from heaviest to lightest by lifting them and after
weighing them.
Students will be able to use the scales to weigh objects in both g and kg and record the weights of the
objects they weigh.
Students will be able to choose whether to weigh an object in g or kg
Students will use comparative language of heavier, lighter, heavy, heavier and heaviest

Equipment/Resources:
Scales
Weights
Mystery packages – sand, wrapping paper, masking tape, take away containers, icrecream containers,
salada boxes
Heavy objects (1-5kg) – packet of sugar, salt, flour,

Formative Assessment Summative Assessment Student Self Assessment

Students recordings of weights
after using the scales (product
analysis)
Students ability to sort objects
they have weighed in order from
lightest to heaviest (product
analysis)
Worksheet of what to
weigh objects in (g or kg)
Conferencing of sorting
objects from lightest to
heaviest include objects
weighed in g and kg