Skills Covered

How to Use This Pack

Five pages about measuring liquid volume. On page 1 students read eight graduated cylinders, each numbered every 100 mL but with tick marks every 50, 20 or 10 mL, so they first work out what one tick is worth. Page 2 has drink cups marked to 250 mL and measuring jugs marked in milliliters and in liters; students write each amount with its unit. On page 3 the containers are empty, and students color the water up to the amount shown. Page 4 asks whether milliliters or liters is the better unit for ten everyday things and for the best estimate of four more. Page 5 has six one-step word problems: pouring together, filling up, equal glasses and sharing.

In the Classroom

Before page 1, fill a clear cup or a measuring jug with water and read it together: find the numbers, then count the ticks between two numbers to see how much each tick is worth. Page 3 works well with blue crayons or colored pencils. For page 4, pass around a teaspoon, a water bottle and a bucket and talk about which ones hold less than a liter.

At Home

Look at a measuring jug, a water bottle or a juice carton together and find the milliliters or liters printed on it. Fill a measuring cup to 250 mL and pour it into a glass, then ask how many glasses would fill a 1 liter bottle.

Tips for Success

• Find the two numbers around the water line, then count the ticks between them
• Work out what one tick is worth before reading: 10, 20 or 50 mL
• Read the scale at the top of the water, where the line is flat
• Small amounts, like a spoon or a cup, are in milliliters; big ones, like a bathtub, are in liters
• Always write the unit with the answer: mL or L