Capacity Unit Plan

Learning Area: Maths Year Level: 2/3

Strands: Measurement – Capacity Proposed Duration: 4 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 capacity?
How do I measure capacity?
When do we use capacity in everyday life?

Tasks for Enquiry:

Lesson 1
Students use different shaped objects to compare their capacity

Lesson 2
Use of mL. Estimate the capacity of an object, measure the capacity and then sort by capacity. Discuss
when you would use these at home. Ie cooking, measuring small amounts of things (measuring spoons??).
Ask students to go home and find objects that are measured in mL & L. Ask to record so can use next
lesson.

Lesson 3
Use of L. Estimate the capacity of an object, measure the capacity and then sort by capacity. Discuss
when you would use these at home. Ie ice cream container, milk, soft drink

Lesson 4
Provide the students with objects that hold mL and ones that hold L, have the students determine
which measurement to measure the liquid in, ie mL or L. Then have the students sort objects (in both
mL and L) by which holds the least to which holds the most.

Year 2
Capacity
Estimates how much something holds AND describes what it holds, ie this jug holds 4 cups
Begins to understand and use mathematical terms, mL, litres
Can determine what to use to measure something, ie mL, L

Year 3
Capacity
Estimates, measure and compares capacity of something
Uses and understand mL & L
Knows that 1000mL are 1 L

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to measure liquids in mL and L
Students will be able to describe what liquids should be measured in mL and what should be measured
in L
Students will be able to estimate the capacity of different jugs, cups an spoons in mL and L
Students will be able to compare the capacity of an object against the capacity of another and
determine which holds more/less
Students will know that 1000 mL is 1 L

Equipment/Resources:
Measuring jugs, cups & spoons
Measuring cylinders
Liquid

Formative Assessment Summative Assessment Student Self Assessment

Recording of estimating, measuring
and sorting in lesson 2, 3 & 4