Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade R

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Describe objects as 'long' or 'short'
• Order objects from shortest to longest
• Describe objects as 'heavy' or 'light'
• Compare the mass of two objects
• Use words like longer, shorter, heavier, lighter

Lesson summary

This week, we are going to explore the world of measurement! Measurement helps us understand the size and weight of things around us. Knowing about length (how long or short something is) and mass (how heavy or light something is) is super important in our daily lives. For example, when we are building a sandcastle, we need to understand how long and wide to make it. When we pack our school bags, we need to consider how heavy the books are. These concepts are fundamental to understanding the world around us and are a vital starting point for more complex mathematical concepts later on.

Lesson notes

Length (Long/Short) What is Length? Length tells us how far it is from one end of something to the other. It's about how long or short something is.

Long: Something is long when it stretches out a good distance. Think of a long skipping rope or a long bus.

Short: Something is short when it doesn't stretch out very far. Think of a short pencil or a short piece of string.

Comparing Length: We can compare two things to see which one is longer or shorter. We often use our eyes to make a visual comparison.

Example 1: Imagine we have two crayons: a red crayon and a blue crayon. The red crayon is longer than the blue crayon. We can say the red crayon stretches out further. The blue crayon is shorter; it does not stretch out as far as the red crayon.

Example 2: Think about a snake and a worm. A snake is usually much longer than a worm. The snake can stretch out a very long distance, while the worm is quite short.

Example 3: Compare a school bus to a bicycle. The school bus is much longer. A bicycle is relatively short. Mass (Heavy/Light) What is Mass? Mass tells us how much "stuff" is in something. We often think of it as how heavy or light something is.

Heavy: Something is heavy when it takes a lot of effort to lift or move it. Think of a big rock or a full bag of potatoes.

Light: Something is light when it doesn't take much effort to lift or move it. Think of a feather or an empty plastic bottle.

Comparing Mass: We can compare two things to see which one is heavier or lighter. We often use our hands to feel the weight, or we can use a simple balance scale (like a seesaw).

Example 1: Imagine you have a soccer ball and a tennis ball. The soccer ball is heavier than the tennis ball. It takes more effort to lift the soccer ball. The tennis ball is lighter, and easier to lift.

Example 2: Think about a brick and a pillow. A brick is very heavy. A pillow is light.

Example 3: Compare a textbook to a feather. The textbook is heavier and requires more effort to lift. The feather is very light. Using a Balancing Scale (Seesaw Analogy) A simple balancing scale, or even a seesaw at a playground, can help us compare the mass of two objects. If one side of the scale goes down, that means the object on that side is heavier. If one side goes up, that means the object on that side is lighter. If the scale balances (stays even), that means the objects on both sides have about the same mass. This helps provide a visual representation of mass. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Which is longer: a spoon or a fork?

Solution: You need to look at a spoon and a fork. Usually, a fork is slightly longer than a spoon.

Therefore, the fork is longer. (

Commentary: This question encourages visual comparison and application of the "longer" concept.)

Question 2: Which is lighter: an apple or a watermelon?

Solution: You might know that a watermelon is much bigger and heavier than an apple.

Therefore, the apple is lighter. (

Commentary: This question connects the concept of mass with familiar objects.)

Question 3: Thandi has a long skipping rope and Sipho has a short skipping rope. Who has the longer rope?

Solution: Thandi has the longer rope because the question states "Thandi has a long skipping rope". (

Commentary: This assesses understanding of vocabulary and direct application of information.)

Question 4: Which is heavier, a small stone or a big feather?

Solution: Although the feather is bigger, the stone is much heavier. The stone is heavier than the feather. (

Commentary: This explores the difference between size and mass and addresses a common misconception.)

Question 5: Nomsa has a seesaw. She puts a book on one side and a crayon on the other. The side with the book goes down. What does this tell us?

Solution: It tells us that the book is heavier than the crayon. The heavier object makes that side of the seesaw go down. (

Commentary: This applies the balancing scale concept and connects it to the term "heavier".) Independent Practice (Questions Only) Draw a long snake and a short worm.

Which is shorter: your shoe or your school bag? Find three objects in the classroom. Order them from shortest to longest.

Which is heavier: a small toy car or a large empty box? Imagine you are packing your lunchbox. Would you rather pack a heavy rock or a light sandwich? Why? You have two bags. One has books in it, and one has feathers. Which bag will be harder to lift? Name two things that are usually very long. Name two things that are usually very light. Use your hands to compare the mass of your pencil and your eraser. Which one feels heavier? You have a seesaw. You put a teddy bear on one side and a ball on the other side. The seesaw balances. What does this tell you about the teddy bear and the ball?