1 - Getting Started ~3 mins
A big fluffy bag of cotton wool and a little stone sit side by side. Hands up: which one is heavier: the BIG bag, or the little stone?
Hold your vote. We will not trust our eyes just yet.
2 - Watch and Notice ~7 mins
Three balances on the board. For each one, look at which pan is down. Down means heavier.
On the last one, both pans sit flat. We call that level: the two sides weigh the same.
3 - Try It Together ~9 mins
Today we explore: load one object-weight on each pan and look which side is down. We will try crayon 7 against rubber 3, then matching blocks 6 against 6, then scissors 9 against apple 4, then sponge 2 against pebble 8.
Before each pan settles, the class calls out: left down, right down, or level?
Which pan is down?
4 - Write the Heavier Sentence ~2 mins
In your maths copy, write: the ___ is heavier than the ___.
Fill both gaps with two things from today, for example the stone and the cotton wool, or the apple and the rubber.
5 - Class Challenge ~8 mins
Today we compare these pairs on the balance: apple against crayon, scissors against glue stick, big sponge against little pebble, then two that weigh the same.
For every pair, say which pan is down, or if both pans sit level. Last of all, make one pair sit level.
Which side is heavier?
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