Measuring a book

Measuring a book

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
This task is about weight, length, volume and perimeter.

Your teacher will give you two books. Follow the instructions below. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

a)
Use the scales to find the weight of books A and B in grams and kilograms:
 
 
i)
 
ii)
Book A = __________ g
 
Book B = __________ kg
 
b)
Measure:
 
  i)
Book A's length, in centimetres. Length of Book A = __________ cm
 
Book A's width, in centimetres. Width of Book A = __________ cm
 
Book A's thickness, in millimetres. Thickness of Book A = __________ mm
 
 
  ii) Calculate Book A's volume.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
iii)
 In the box below write down the dimensions of a piece of card that would exactly cover the outside of Book A – that is a piece of card covering the front, the spine, and the back only (as shown in the diagram below).
   
 
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 
Equipment:
Scales which measures in 50 g units, up to approximately 3 kg; 30 cm ruler; a book weighing over 1 kg (labelled 'Book A') and another book weighing less than 1 kg (labelled 'Book B').
  • This task is completed with pencil and paper, and other equipment.
  • This task assesses students' ability to weigh books, take measurements of length, convert these as required, and calculate volume and area.
  • You will need to make a record of all appropriate measurements of Books A and B.
  • This practical measuring task could be taken as part of a written measurement test. Identical measuring stations could be set up at the front of the classroom with measuring equipment and the items to be measured. Students could then go to the measuring stations as they became available or as the teacher instructed.
  • Remove any dust covers from the books, as the dimensions required in b) iii) include only the front, spine, and back of the book, and exclude any allowance for book flaps.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Measurement
Keywords: 
weight, volume, length, perimeter
Description of task: 
In this practical task students need to weigh books, take measurements of length, convert these as required, and calculate volume and dimensions for a cover.
Answers/responses: 

 

  

1 mark
1 mark

 a) i)

Weight of Book A (± 50 g).
Weight of Book B (± 0.05 kg).
1 mark
1 mark
1 mark
2 marks
or
1 mark
  
1 mark
1 mark
  
1 mark
b)

i)
 
 
ii)
 
 
 
 
iii)
Length
Width
Thickness		 = x ± 1 mm
= y ± 1 mm
= z ± 1 mm
Volume calculated using the 3 dimensions in b) i), with units
adjusted consistently.
Volume calculated using the 3 dimensions in b) i), with units
not adjusted or missing.
Correct final unit shown (cm3 or mm3).
Uses measurements given in b) i) to record the dimensions:
i.e., length = x width = 2y + z
Consistent unit used (cm or mm).