Measuring Growth Basics

Overview

This is Lesson 1 of a 30-lesson Year 1 unit titled "Measuring Growth: Cooking & Gardens". In this 45-minute session, students will develop foundational understandings of measurement focusing on length, weight, and volume. The lesson introduces the concept of measurement, highlights its role in everyday contexts such as cooking and gardening, and engages students with hands-on activities aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (Te Mātaiaho Mathematics and Statistics framework).

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Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Mathematics & Statistics
Level: Year 1 (Phase 1)
Strand: Measurement
Achievement Objective:

• Understand the attributes and uses of measurement and compare and order objects by length, mass, and capacity using informal units.
• Students will estimate and use informal units to measure length, mass (weight), and capacity (NZ Curriculum Phase 1 Measurement) .

Key Competencies:

• Thinking: Develop spatial understanding and logical reasoning about size and quantity.
• Using language, symbols, and text: Use measurement vocabulary such as longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, more, less, full, empty.
• Relating to others: Collaborate with peers during measurement activities and reflect together on results.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain what measurement is and why it is important in daily life.
• Identify and compare objects by length, weight, and volume using everyday language and informal units.
• Use informal units (e.g., paper clips, blocks, cups) to estimate and measure objects.
• Communicate their observations about measurement comparing two or three objects.

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Resources

• Variety of classroom objects (e.g., pencils, books, fruit)
• Informal measuring units: paper clips, cubes, blocks, cups (for volume)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Picture book or visual story about gardening or cooking, emphasising measurement
• Measurement word wall with words: long, short, heavy, light, full, empty, more, less
• Digital device to show a short measurement video or interactive measuring game (optional)

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Lesson Schedule (45 minutes)

1. Introduction & Context (7 minutes)

• Engage: Show students a picture book or story related to cooking or gardening that highlights measuring ingredients or plant growth. Prompt with questions:
  • "Why do you think it is important to know how long or heavy something is?"
  • "Have you seen someone measuring things at home or school?"
• Define measurement: Explain that measurement helps us find out how long, heavy, or full things are, so we can do things like cook yummy food or grow plants well.

2. Vocabulary Introduction (5 minutes)

• Present key measurement words using a word wall: long, short, heavy, light, full, empty, more, less.
• Use gestures and objects to demonstrate meaning (e.g., holding a heavy book vs. a light one).
• Encourage students to repeat the words in both English and, if applicable, Māori or other heritage languages to build language connections.

3. Hands-on Exploration - Length, Weight, and Volume Stations (20 minutes)

Divide students into small groups to rotate through three stations around the classroom:

• Station 1: Length — Measuring with Informal Units
  Students use paper clips or blocks to measure classroom objects (e.g., pencil, book). Emphasise lining units up end to end.
• Station 2: Weight — Comparing Heavy and Light Objects
  Provide different objects to hold, compare, and sort into heavy and light piles. Use balance scales if available.
• Station 3: Volume — Estimating and Measuring Capacity
  Using small cups and containers, students estimate then pour water or rice to fill the containers and compare which holds more or less.

4. Group Discussion & Sharing (8 minutes)

• Gather students and invite representatives from each station to share their discoveries.
• Ask questions such as:
  • "Which object was the longest? How did you measure it?"
  • "Which was heavier or lighter? How could you tell?"
  • "Which container held more? How did you figure that out?"

5. Reflective Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Recap the importance of measurement and the new words learned.
• Invite students to share how measurement helps in cooking and gardening (link to unit theme).
• Set the context for next lesson focusing more deeply on one attribute of measurement (e.g., length).

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Assessment for Learning

• Observations: Listen and note how students use measurement vocabulary during activities.
• Participation: Check student engagement and ability to measure and compare using informal units.
• Anecdotal notes: Record any misconceptions or particular strengths around concepts of length, weight, and volume.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide one-on-one guidance at stations, use visual aids, and scaffold vocabulary with gestures and simple language.
• Extension: Challenge some students to estimate then measure items and compare measurements between items.

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Tips for Teachers

• Use lots of concrete materials and physical movement to keep young learners engaged.
• Link measurement language to students’ own experiences including te reo Māori terms where appropriate (e.g., roa for long).
• Keep instructions clear and simple, modelling measurement methods first at each station.
• Encourage curiosity and verbal expression during group discussions.

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This lesson, grounded in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, nurtures the foundational measurement skills and language Year 1 students need to confidently explore their environment and the exciting contexts of cooking and gardening in subsequent lessons .