Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 2

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• This week, we dive into the exciting world of Measurement! Measurement is a crucial mathematical skill that we use every single day in our lives in South Africa. When mama buys a 2-litre bottle of cooldrink, she is using capacity. When Gogo measures fabric to make a beautiful shweshwe dress, she is using length. When we buy a bag of potatoes at the market, we are interested in its mass (how heavy it is). By learning about measurement, we learn to understand and describe the world around us more accurately. This week focuses on informal measurement, which means we will use everyday objects (like our hands, pencils, or cups) to measure, before we learn about formal units like centimetres and kilograms later on.
• By the end of this week's lessons, learners will be able to:
• Estimate and measure length, mass, and capacity using non-standard units (e.g., hand spans, blocks, cups).
• Compare two or more objects based on their length, mass, or capacity using appropriate language (e.g., longer/shorter; heavier/lighter; holds more/holds less).
• Order a set of objects from shortest to longest, lightest to heaviest, or from holding the least to holding the most.

Lesson summary

This week, we dive into the exciting world of Measurement! Measurement is a crucial mathematical skill that we use every single day in our lives in South Africa. When mama buys a 2-litre bottle of cooldrink, she is using capacity. When Gogo measures fabric to make a beautiful shweshwe dress, she is using length. When we buy a bag of potatoes at the market, we are interested in its mass (how heavy it is). By learning about measurement, we learn to understand and describe the world around us more accurately.

Lesson notes

A. Measuring Length What is Length? Length tells us how long, short, wide, or tall something is. It is the distance from one end of an object to the other. How do we measure it informally? We use non-standard units. These are everyday objects that we can use to measure. The only rule is that the unit must be the same size when you use it. For example, if you measure with pencils, all the pencils should be the same length.

Common non-standard units for length: Hand spans Paces (footsteps) Pencils or crayons (all the same size) Bottle tops Paper clips Building blocks

Worked example

Let's measure the length of a table using a textbook.

Step 1: Place the textbook at the very edge of the table.

Step 2: Place your finger to mark where the textbook ends.

Step 3: Move the textbook so its starting edge is now at your finger.

Step 4: Continue this process, counting each time you place the textbook down, until you reach the other end of the table.

Step 5: Record your answer.

For example: "The table is 5 textbooks long."

Why is it important? We need to know how to measure length to see if a new couch will fit in our living room, or how far we can kick a soccer ball!

B. Measuring Mass

What is Mass?

Mass tells us how heavy or light an object is. An object with more mass is heavier.

How do we measure and compare it informally?

We can feel the mass by holding objects, one in each hand, to feel which is heavier. For a more accurate comparison, we use a balance scale. A balance scale has two sides. The side that goes down holds the heavier object. If the sides are level, the objects have the same mass.