Measuring Fruit – Heavier or Lighter

Warm Up:

Sit kids in a circle. Pick an item of your choice. Get kids to feel the weight of the object. Now roll a dice if you roll a 1, 2 or 3 a child has to pick something that is lighter. If they roll a 4, 5 or 6 they have to pick something that is heavier.

Launch:

Show how we might use the balance scales with informal units. Place an item in one end and ask how we can get the scales to balance. Ask the kids for their ideas.

Now have a go at doing it- showing the concept that the scales need to be level.

Explore:

Make a prediction what is the heaviest fruit.

How can we measure this- Kids might do hefting technique or scales technique.

What is the heaviest fruit in the room? Record your results.

Enabling- Find something heavier

Extending-Prove your results showing reasoning. How do you know it is heavier or lighter?