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GM5-1: Select and use appropriate metric units for length, area, volume and capacity, weight (mass), temperature, angle, and time, with awareness that measurements are approximate.

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Elaboration on this Achievement Objective

This means that when given a measuring task students will identify and use an appropriate metric unit.  This involves the choice of an attribute (for example length, area, temperature) appropriate to the problem, the selection of an appropriate measurement tool, and the choice of unit adequate for the task, for example millimetres are needed to measure the length of solid material for construction. Measuring tasks should include a range of attributes and unit sizes, for example measuring the volume of the classroom in cubic metres, measuring the area of a piece of paper in square centimetres. 

Students will be aware that measurements are not exact. The accuracy of a measurement can be affected by both human error and the accuracy of units, for example two people may give slightly different values for the width of a crayfish tail. This connects to the concept of rounding to a desired accuracy. Students need to understand that any measure involves a number (quantity) and unit of measure. Both determine the size of the measure, for example 1.80 metres represents a measure that is greater or equal to 179.5 cm and less than 180.5 cm.

 

Teaching resources for this Achievement Objective
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Average Looking

Level Four
Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
In this unit we use measurements of our classmates to find the average (mean and mode) of our features. We use our findings to create a 3-dimensional "class head".
  • Plan an investigation.
  • Calculate the mean and mode of a data set.
  • Discuss features of data displays using mean and mode.
  • State implications from an investigation.
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Body Measurements

Level Five
Integrated
Secondary activities
These exercises and activities are for students to use independently of the teacher to practice number and measurement skills.

Design and use models to solve measuring problems in practical contexts.

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Goodnight stories for builders and architects to be

Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
This unit supports students to learn and apply Pythagoras’ theorem and trigonometry in an engaging context which leads to the production of an authentic and useful outcome: a resource “Goodnight Stories for Builders and Architects to be…” for other classes to use. This frames Pythagoras and...
  • Know some of the history behind Pythagoras’ theorem.
  • Understand and apply Pythagoras theorem and trigonometry ratios in mathematical and real world contexts, and to practical problems.
  • Demonstrate understanding of sin, cos and tan.
  • Write Pythagoras or trigonometry problems.
  • Calculate angles given two300
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Hot Dogs

Level Five
Integrated
Figure It Out activities
This is a level 5 measurement strand activity from the Figure It Out series. It also has an achievement objective from the Level 5 Number strategies and knowledge substrand. A PDF of the student activity is included.

use ratios to compare surface area and volume

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How many pieces? (years 7-10)

Level Four
Level Five
Integrated
This counting collections activity engages students in identifying which roll of toilet paper is better value.
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Little Links

Level Four
Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Figure It Out activities
This is a level 4 and 5 measurement strand activity from the Figure It Out series. A PDF of the student activity is included.

calculate lengths involving millimetres

apply circle formulae

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Marketing Tricks

Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to use algebraic techniques when solving a measurement problem.
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Measurement Investigations 2

Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Units of Work
In this unit students complete a number of practical measurement investigations, with an emphasis on accurate measurement and communication of findings.
  • Plan a mathematical investigation in a group.
  • Take measurements to make calculations to complete an investigation.
  • Interpret the accuracy of the investigation.
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Mocktails

Level Five
Integrated
Units of Work
This unit provides an opportunity for students to learn and apply knowledge of measurement of capacity and weight, ratios, and money (decimal numbers) in an engaging and authentic food-technology context.
  • Develop a problem solving strategy to work out the unit cost for a produced item (a drink).
  • Measure and compare weight and capacity accurately, recognising that weighing water is equivalent to measuring its capacity in ml.
  • Convert volume measurements to weight measurements.
  • Calculate and apply ratios.
  • M300
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Rex's ransom

Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
Rich learning activities
The purpose of this activity is for students to apply metric units of length, volume, and mass to solve a problem in context.
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Slingshots

Level Five
Integrated
The purpose of this unit is to engage students in applying their understanding of measurement and algebra in investigating a physical system.
  • Solve problems involving the conservation of mechanical energy. 
  • Find elastic potential energy using graphs.
  • Determine the nature of the relationship between physical quantities (height and elastic stored energy) using a graph.
  • Use a physical property, elastic potential energy, to find an unknown300
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Steep Streets

Level Five
Geometry and Measurement
The purpose of this unit is to engage students in applying their knowledge and skills of measurement to investigate gradients, angles, elevation in a range of practical situations.
  • apply measurement sense
  • use problem solving methods to find unknown lengths and angles
  • find angles of elevation and apply these to problem solving
  • find gradients and apply these to problem solving
  • find and apply angles of elevation
  • compare and use gradients to find unknown lengths
  • use maps, measuring300