Intermediate
40 mins
Teacher/Student led
+80 XP
Teacher-led from the board. Pupils do not need a device, but can follow on one.
What you need:
pouring-demo-kit

Full, Empty and Holds More: Comparing Capacity

Learn to compare the capacity of containers by pouring liquid between them. Identify full, half full and empty states. Order a range of classroom items from the one that holds the least to the one that holds the most.

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    1 - Getting Started ~3 mins

    Illustration for Getting StartedA tall skinny bottle and a short fat jar sit side by side. Which one holds more juice?

    Show me your vote… now, how could we actually find out?

    2 - Watch and Notice ~10 mins

    Capacity is how much a container can hold when it is full.

    Sort each picture: full, half full or empty.

    Watch this pour. The tall skinny bottle starts full of juice. We pour every drop into the short fat jar. Look: the jar still has space at the top. The bottle's juice did not fill the jar. So the short jar holds more. Pouring shows us which one holds more. Height can trick us.

    Order the cup, jug and bucket from holds least to holds most.

    3 - Try It Together ~8 mins

    Order these containers from holds least to holds most. Drag each one into the right place.

    Order by how much they hold

    4 - Draw Full and Empty in Your Copy ~2 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    In your maths copy, draw a full glass and an empty glass.

    5 - Class Challenge ~10 mins

    We will work these out together:

    • Sort full, half full and empty
    • Order cup, jug, bucket
    • Tall bottle or short jar: which holds more?
    • Order five containers from holds least to holds most

    Capacity challenges

    Pupil practice
    Module 7 · Measures: Length, Weight and Capacity Measures
    Lesson 83 · Full, Empty and Holds More: Comparing Capacity
    Download Activity Book page (PDF)
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