Containers for Change WA - Container Loads

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• critical thinking
• collaboration
• curiosity
• reflection

Western Australian Curriculum - Year 5, Mathematics

• Choose appropriate units of measurement for length, area, volume, capacity and mass (ACMMG108)

Australian Curriculum - Year 5, Mathematics

• Students choose appropriate metric units when measuring the length, mass and capacity of objects; use smaller units or a combination of units to obtain a more accurate measure. (AC9M5M01)

General capabilities: Numeracy, Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Relevant parts of Year 5 achievement standards: By the end of Year 5, students use place value to write and order decimals including decimals greater than one. They choose and use appropriate metric units to measure the attributes of length, mass and capacity, and to solve problems involving perimeter and area.

Choose appropriate units of measurement for length, area, volume, capacity and mass (ACMMG108)

UN SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

• aluminium can
• calculators for each student
• digital scales, able to weigh light items in grams
• glass bottle (e.g. glass juice bottle around 600ml)
• HDPE beverage bottle (i.e. frosted or opaque plastic)
• liquid paperboard container (e.g. milk carton)
• PET drink bottle (e.g. 600ml soft drink bottle)
• steel beverage can (these are commonly used for coconut water)
• Student Worksheets: The Magnitude of Recycling and Adding to Change (one per students)
• Reference Sheet: Reading Very Large Numbers (to display for students)
• Reference Sheet: Converting Mass Units (to display for students)
• Reference Sheet: Total Weight of Material Types Processed by RPOs (to display for students)

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low - skills required for independent activities are modelled explicitly before students begin their work. Some support may be required for those who find mathematical concepts challenging to understand.