Year 3 · Mathematics · Measurement
Measuring length, mass and time
Measuring and comparing objects with uniform informal units, using a balance to compare mass, and reading time to the half hour and quarter hour on analogue clocks.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to UK year groups by age (Year 1 is the year a child turns 6 in England). They are not mapped to the National Curriculum in England or the curricula of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so check them against your own plans.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Measure and compare lengths using uniform informal units with no gaps or overlaps.
- Use a balance to compare the masses of two objects and measure mass with informal units.
- Read and show time to the half hour and quarter hour on an analogue clock.
Success looks like
- I can measure how many paperclips long something is and compare it with something else.
- I can use a balance to tell which object is heavier.
- I can read o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to on a clock.
The big idea
Measuring tells us how much of something there is. In Year 3 we use the same unit again and again, such as paperclips for length or blocks for mass, so measurements can be compared fairly.
Length: Lay the units end to end in a straight line, starting exactly at one end of the object, with no gaps or overlaps. Count the units. If a pencil is 8 paperclips long and a crayon is 5 paperclips long, the pencil is 3 paperclips longer.
Using the same unit matters. A table might be 6 hand spans for an adult but 9 hand spans for a child, because the units are different sizes. That is why we agree on one unit.
Mass: A balance compares two objects. Put one in each side. The heavier side goes down and the lighter side goes up. If the sides are level, the masses are the same. To measure mass, put the object on one side and add blocks to the other until it balances, then count the blocks.
Time: An analogue clock has a short hour hand and a long minute hand. When the minute hand points to 12, it is o'clock. When it points to 6, it has gone halfway around, so it is half past the hour.
When the minute hand points to 3, it has gone a quarter of the way around: quarter past. When it points to 9, there is a quarter of the way left to go before the next hour: quarter to. Watch the hour hand too: at half past 4, it is halfway between 4 and 5.
- Length: units end to end, no gaps, no overlaps.
- Mass: the heavier side of a balance goes down.
- Time: minute hand on 12 is o'clock, on 3 is quarter past, on 6 is half past, on 9 is quarter to.
Worked examples
Comparing lengths
A book is 9 blocks long. A pencil case is 6 blocks long. Which is longer, and by how much?
- Both were measured with the same blocks, so we can compare.
- 9 is more than 6, so the book is longer.
- Count on from 6 to 9: 7, 8, 9. That is 3 blocks.
Answer: The book is longer by 3 blocks.
Measuring mass with a balance
An apple is put on one side of a balance. It takes 12 blocks on the other side to make it level. A lemon takes 7 blocks. Which is heavier?
- The apple balances 12 blocks; the lemon balances 7 blocks.
- 12 is more than 7, so the apple has more mass.
- If both went on the balance together, the apple's side would go down.
Answer: The apple is heavier, by 5 blocks.
Reading quarter to
The minute hand points to 9 and the hour hand is just before the 6. What time is it?
- Minute hand on 9 means there is a quarter of an hour left before the next hour.
- The hour hand is nearly at 6, so the next hour is 6 o'clock.
- A quarter of an hour before 6 o'clock is quarter to 6.
Answer: It is quarter to 6.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Where does the minute hand point at half past 3?
to the 6 — At half past, the minute hand has gone halfway around the clock, to the 6.
A ribbon is 11 paperclips long. A string is 7 paperclips long. How many paperclips longer is the ribbon?
4 — 11 − 7 = 4. Count on from 7: 8, 9, 10, 11 is 4 jumps.
On a balance, the side with the orange goes down and the side with the plum goes up. Which is heavier?
the orange — The heavier object makes its side of the balance go down.
The minute hand points to 3 and the hour hand is just past 8. What time is it?
quarter past 8 — Minute hand on 3 means quarter past. The hour hand has just passed 8, so it is quarter past 8.
A shoe balances 10 blocks. A cup balances 6 blocks. How many more blocks does the shoe balance?
4 — 10 − 6 = 4, so the shoe balances 4 more blocks.
Tom measures a table with his hand spans and gets 8. His dad measures the same table and gets 5. Why are the answers different?
Dad's hands are bigger, so he needs fewer of them — Bigger units mean fewer are needed. That is why we use the same unit to compare.
The minute hand points to 12 and the hour hand points to 7. What time is it?
7 o'clock — Minute hand on 12 means o'clock, and the hour hand on 7 means 7 o'clock.
At half past 10, where is the hour hand?
halfway between the 10 and the 11 — At half past 10, half an hour has passed since 10 o'clock, so the hour hand is halfway to 11.
Watch out for
- Leaving gaps or overlaps between units. Model starting exactly at the end of the object and checking every join.
- Thinking bigger objects are always heavier. Test a large sponge against a small tin on the balance.
- Reading 'quarter to' with the hour that has just passed (calling quarter to 6 'quarter to 5'). Remind your child that 'quarter to' looks ahead to the next hour.
Tips for parents
- Put a clock with hands where your child can see it and talk about times during the day: 'It's half past 12 — lunchtime.'
- A coat hanger with a bag on each end makes a quick balance for comparing toys and fruit.
- Ask your child to estimate before measuring, then compare the estimate with the result.
Go further
- Make a paper plate clock and play 'Show me': call out o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to times.
- Order five toys from lightest to heaviest using the balance, comparing two at a time.
- Measure the length of a bed with two different units, such as hand spans and shoes, and explain why the numbers differ.
About 35 minutes
You'll need
- Paperclips, blocks or pop sticks all the same size
- A coat hanger, two plastic bags and pegs (for a home-made balance) or a toy balance
- Small household objects to measure and weigh
- A real analogue clock or a paper plate clock with a split pin and card hands
Key words
- unit
- Something of the same size used again and again to measure.
- balance
- A tool with two sides that shows which object is heavier; the heavier side goes down.
- mass
- How heavy something is.
- half past
- 30 minutes after the hour; the minute hand points to the 6.
- quarter past
- 15 minutes after the hour; the minute hand points to the 3.
- quarter to
- 15 minutes before the next hour; the minute hand points to the 9.
Still tricky?
For parents
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