Measurement Teaching Resources
Is your maths class ready to dive into length measurement, measuring objects and more measurement practice? Say hello to printable units of measurement worksheets, games and digital activities created by teachers for teachers!
This collection of teaching resources was created by our expert maths teachers to help students meet Australian Curriculum standards. Each printable and digital download has undergone a rigorous review by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure they’re student-ready — so you can cut down on lesson planning time!
New to teaching this part of the maths curriculum? Our teacher team knows what it’s like to suddenly teach a brand-new year level, so we’ve put together a quick guide to teaching measurement!
What Are the 4 steps of Teaching and Learning Measurement?
Students have to learn a long list of measurement concepts during their time in primary school, including:
- length
- liquid volume
- elapsed time
- mass (weight)
- area
- volume of three-dimensional figures
The good news for teachers: Most measurement concepts have very real-world applications for students. That means there's a whole world of ways to get students excited about reading a ruler or tape measure or weighing heavy objects on a scale.
But before you can get there, let's start with the basic steps to work through when you're teaching students how to measure ... well ... anything!
- Direct Comparison — One of the earliest steps of learning measurement is learning the attributes that are being measured. For example, students need to learn what length is if they're ever going to measure it. That's where direct comparison (and step 2, indirect comparison), come in. If you put 2 objects side by side, students can directly compare which is longer and which is shorter and start to understand how to measure an object.
- Indirect Comparison — What happens when you can't directly compare two objects? You can add a third as a reference point for indirect comparison, thereby increasing student understanding of the attribute being measured.
- Measuring With Non-Standard Units or Informal Units — Just as students need to understand the attribute of measuring, they also need to understand the concept of the units we use to measure such as metres or litres. Using non-standard units is the first step to teaching the concept of units, offering students the chance to work with different objects, counting how many of these 'units' it takes to make up another. This is the fundamental base of measurement.
- Measuring With Standard Units — In the final step of teaching measurement, students move on to using the formal units of measurement and learn to use measurement instruments.
Why Is Teaching Measurement Important?
There are concrete uses for learning measurement that will surely spring to mind — from using a tape measure to measure a space in a home to weighing ingredients when baking to determining the capacity of a juice glass before pouring in the liquid. These are all means for quantifying our environment.
But the benefits of teaching students about measuring lines with a ruler or figuring out mass measurements from largest to smallest go well beyond the obvious. Learning to measure helps students develop spatial and number skills.
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Finding the Perimeter of a Rectangle Poster
Teach students the formula for the perimeter of a rectangle with this colorful classroom poster for your math bulletin board.
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Area of a Triangle – Worksheet
Practise applying maths formulas with this area of a triangle worksheet.
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Same Perimeter, Different Area Word Problems – Worksheet
Practise solving multi-step word problems involving objects that have the same perimeter but different areas.
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Perimeter with Missing Sides – Word Problems Worksheet
Practise solving real-life perimeter word problems with an unknown side with this worksheet.
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How Much Does it Measure? Estimating Units Interactive (Mixed Units)
Estimate units of mass, volume, temperature, length, and more with an engaging, interactive measurement game.
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Measuring and Converting Time – Teaching Presentation
Learn how to measure and convert time with this 14-slide teaching presentation.
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Area Investigation - Big, Loud Feet!
A mathematics investigation involving area, embedded in a real-world context.
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Clock Labels – 'Past' and 'To'
Support time-telling skills with these clock labels, designed to help students confidently read analogue clocks.
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Time Machine Match-Up Activity
Consolidate knowledge of time to the hour, half-hour and to the quarter-hour with this fun sorting activity.
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Estimation Activity - Estimating Space Worksheet Set
Use estimation activities like this estimating space worksheet set to give your students practice estimating, converting measurements and problem solving.
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Fun Volume Activities
Bring maths to life with these fun volume activities that will have students building prisms, going on a scavenger hunt and estimating volumes!
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Informal Mass Choose and Use Cut and Sort
Learn the concept of informal units of measurement for mass with this choose and use worksheet.
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Informal Mass Scavenger Hunt Worksheets
Practise using balance scales to determine the weight of objects using informal units with these fun scavenger hunt worksheets.
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Mass Calculations Word Problem Worksheets
Put mass understanding into practise with this set of three word problem worksheets.
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Measurement Scavenger Hunt Activity - Formal Units of Measure
Practise measuring in millimetres, centimetres, and metres with an engaging Measurement Scavenger Hunt!
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Which Unit of Measurement? - Length Worksheets
Identify the unit of measurement needed to measure the length of an object with a pack of ‘Which Unit of Measurement’ Worksheets.
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Which Unit? Measuring Length Sorting Centre
Practise identifying when to measure in centimetres, metres, and kilometres using a printable metric measurement sorting activity.
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Sky High - Connecting Cubes Measurement Activity
Practise measuring in informal units using connecting cubes with a digital measurement activity.
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Time Sort - Morning, Afternoon & Evening Activity
Help your students learn about different times of day (morning, afternoon, and evening) with a Times of Day Sorting activity.
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Converting Units of Time Test Pack
Assess your students’ abilities to convert units of time with a set of differentiated time conversion tests.
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Seasons, Days, & Months of the Year Spelling Worksheet
Spell the days of the week, months of the year, and the four seasons with a printable Spelling Homework sheet.
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Telling the Time - Clocks to 5 Minutes Task Cards
Practise reading clocks to determine the time to the nearest 5 minutes with a set of telling time task cards.
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Days of the Week Mini Book
Create a Days of the Week Booklet to help your students identify, sequence and spell the days of the week.
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What Does the Clock Say? - Telling the Time Game
Solve the math riddles and read analogue clocks with a fun Time to 5 Minute Telling Time Game.
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Time to the Hour & Half-Hour Playdough Mats
Use playdough to practise telling time to the hour and half hour with printable playdough mats for early years.
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Classroom Clock Labels - Flower Display
Use our Flower Wall Clock Labels to create a garden-themed clock display to help children read the time.
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Parts of a Clock Anchor Chart
Familiarise students with the analogue clock face, hands and other parts of a clock with a printable poster created for the primary classroom.
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Elapsed Time on a Number Line Worksheets
Practise finding elapsed time using an open number line with a pair of differentiated elapsed time worksheets.
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Time Unit Conversions Dominoes
Practise converting units of time with a fun game of Time Conversion Dominoes!
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Perimeter of Composite Shapes Maze
Use this perimeter maze when teaching your students how to calculate the perimeter of composite shapes.
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Perimeter and Area Digital Puzzles
Give students practice finding the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles with these digital area and perimeter puzzles.
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Interactive Perimeter Puzzle
Calculate and match the perimeters of all 16 shapes on the board to reveal a perimeter puzzle mystery picture.
- Measurement Worksheets
- Measurement Games
- Measurement Posters
- Measurement Templates
- Measurement Projects
- Measurement Teaching Presentations
- Measurement for Preschool/Kindergarten
- Measurement for Foundation Year
- Measurement for Year 1
- Measurement for Year 2
- Measurement for Year 3
- Measurement for Year 4
- Measurement for Year 5
- Measurement for Year 6
- Measurement for Year 7