Math lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 minutes
Convert kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres
Measurement
CCSS 4.MD.A.1CCSS 4.MD.A.2England: Y5 Measurement
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Convert kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Grams and kilograms problems; Litres and millilitres problems
Leads to: Multi-step problems converting metric units
Materials: Rulers, scales and measuring jugs, Clock faces, Conversion chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Grams and kilograms problems; Litres and millilitres problems). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- A bag of flour holds 1 kg. Daniel uses 900 g for a cake. How many grams are left? → 100Prompt: 1 kg is 1000 g.
- A jug holds 1 litre of water. Liam pours 3 glasses of 150 ml. How much water is left in the jug, in ml? → 550Prompt: 1 litre is 1000 ml.
- A melon weighs 900 g and each apple weighs 300 g. What do the melon and 4 apples weigh altogether, in grams? → 2100Prompt: First find the mass of 4 apples.
Hook · 6 min
- Ask the class to estimate the length of the room or the weight of a bag before measuring it.
- Share the objective: Convert kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Write 9 l 792 ml in millilitres.
- Step 1: 9 × 1000 + 792 = 9792
- Answer: 9792
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Write 3 l 401 ml in millilitres. → 3401Prompt: 1 l = 1000 ml.
- 4668 g = ? kg ? g. How many whole kilograms? → 4Prompt: How many groups of 1000 fit?
You do: independent practice · 17 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A party needs 5 bottles of juice, each holding 250 ml. How many millilitres is that? Is it more than 2 litres? (1250 ml, more than 2 l / 1250 ml, less than 2 l / 1250 ml, exactly 2 l) → 1250 ml, less than 2 lPrompt: 5 × 250 = ?
- 1891 ml = ? l ? ml. How many whole litres? → 1Prompt: How many groups of 1000 fit?
Watch out for
- Measuring from the end of the ruler instead of zero.
- Converting units the wrong way (multiplying instead of dividing).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Grams and kilograms problems.
- Use concrete materials: rulers, scales and measuring jugs.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Multi-step problems converting metric units.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder