Lesson video

Hi there.

My name is Mr. Tilston.

I'm a teacher.

Like your teacher, I teach all of the subjects, but my favourite one just has to be maths.

So I feel very lucky and very honoured to be with you today to teach you a lesson all about unit conversions.

Unit conversions are everywhere.

You just have to look at the bottle of drink that you've got with your lunch today and you'll see millilitres or perhaps litres.

So it's good to know what they are and how to convert from one to the other.

In today's lesson, we'll be doing just that.

So if you are ready, I'm ready.

So let's begin.

The outcome of today's lesson is this.

I can apply known unit conversions to convert from smaller to larger units of measure.

So for example, you might convert from grammes to kilogrammes.

Our keywords today, we've got two.

My turn equivalent, your turn.

My turn, convert, your turn.

You might have heard these words and used these words quite recently, but let's have a little reminder, because they're very important and they're going to come up a lot today.

If two or more things have the same value, they are equivalent and you can actually use an equals sign as well.

Convert means to change a value or expression from one form to another.

So, in the example I just gave, grammes into kilogrammes, that's converting.

Our lesson today is split into two cycles.

The first will be grammes to kilogrammes and metres to kilometres, and the second will be millilitres to litres and millimetres to metres.

But if you're ready, let's begin by looking at grammes to kilogrammes and metres to kilometres.

In this lesson, you're going to meet Izzy and Lucas.

Have you met them before? They're here today to give us a helping hand with our maths.

Lucas has recently made some conversion counters, showing the relationship between grammes and kilogrammes, and you might have done something quite similar.

One side shows the kilogrammes.

Here we go.

And the other side shows the grammes.

Here we go.

So that might be ringing a bell for you.

And if your teacher lets you, you might be able to write on some counters yourself, if you've got these two coloured counters in your classroom.

They're a useful tool to have, I think.

So Lucas is using his counters to help convert from different numbers of grammes to kilogrammes.

Now before, he's used them to convert from kilogrammes to grammes, so he's just going the other way around today.

He's going to use this stem sentence.

If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme mm grammes equals mm kilogrammes.

Okay, will you say that with me please? Are you ready? If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme mm grammes equals mm kilogrammes.

Now, just you.

Off you go.

So let's practise using that stem sentence.

What we've got here then? If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 2,000 grammes equals two kilogrammes.

If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 3,000 grammes equals three kilogrammes.

If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 4,000 grammes equals four kilogrammes.

If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 5,000 grammes equals five kilogrammes.

If 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 6,000 grammes equals six kilogrammes.

And if 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 7,000 grammes equals seven kilogrammes.

Pretty straightforward I think once you get going, wouldn't you say? Let's have a check then, let's see.

Use the stem sentence to convert the grammes to kilogrammes.

So look how many grammes you've got.

Can you turn that into kilogrammes? Use that stem sentence and maybe practise it a couple of times as well.

Pause the video.

Let's have a look.

Well, we've got 8,000 grammes there.

So if 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme, 8,000 grammes equals eight kilogrammes.

Well done if you've got that, you're on track.

The same relationship exists between metres and kilometres.

So it is no different converting between those units.

The same skills.

This conversion from metres to kilometres can be shown on a number line, a double number line, a conversion line if you like.

Say the stem sentence each time.

So we've got, if 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, mm metres equals mm kilometres.

Say that with me.

Ready? Go.

If 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, mm metres equals mm kilometres.

Just you, off you go.

Let's have a look.

If 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, 2,000 metres equals two kilometres.

If 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, 3,000 metres equals three kilometres.

See if you can continue completing the stem sentence.

Izzy is doing a sponsored walk.

Oh, well done Izzy, that's great.

Before lunch, she walks three kilometres and after lunch, she walks 5,000 metres.

So can you see we've got two different units there, kilometres and metres? How far does she walk in total? So we've got some converting to do.

She says this, 5,000, yes, I can see the number 5,000 Izzy, yes, plus three, I can see the number three, equals 5,003.

I walked 5,003 metres.

Hmm, that doesn't seem right to me, does it you? Hmm, is she correct? What would you say to her? What feedback would you give to her? She's not correct.

She's forgotten to convert the metres to kilometres.

So you can see there, she said three kilometres and she said 5,000 metres.

She needs to do a little conversion.

And we can use our conversion number line.

So here look, we've got the 3,000 metres and three kilometres.

And here look, we've got 5,000 metres and five kilometres.

So she could in fact say five plus three.

That would be better.

Instead of 5,000 metres, five kilometres plus three kilometres equals eight kilometres.

So, I walked eight kilometres is correct.

Well done, Izzy.

Let's have a little check.

Lucas lives four kilometres away from the city centre, and Izzy lives 3,000 metres away from the city centre.

Who lives closer to the city centre? Explain, pause the video and give that a go.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? Let's have a look.

3,000 metres is equivalent to three kilometres, therefore, Izzy lives three kilometres away from the city centre.

And then she must live closer than Lucas, who lives four kilometres away from the city centre.

So, well done if you used some unit conversions there.

Let's do some practise, shall we? So number one, convert the grammes to kilogrammes, so you can see some grammes there.

What's that in kilogrammes? Number two, complete the stem sentence.

If 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, 5,000 metres equals hmm kilometres.

And how many of these one kilogramme masses would be equivalent to 9,000 grammes? Number four, would you rather have three kilogrammes of chocolate or 2,000 grammes of chocolate? Explain.

Hmm, that's a lot of chocolate either way, and I'm going to presume you like chocolate, but what would you say to that? Which would you rather have? Explain.

And number five, order these distances from the shortest to the longest.

So four kilometres, 10 kilometres, 3,000 metres, 5,000 metres.

They're jumbled up at the minute.

Can you put them in order? And then we've got these dogs, these lovely dogs.

Oakley has a mass of six kilogrammes and Beau has a mass of 7,000 grammes.

What's the difference between their masses? It's a little problem to solve there.

A couple of steps in that for you.

Pause the video, good luck with that and I'll see you soon for some feedback.

Welcome back.

Let's have a look at some answers, shall we? So, convert the grammes to kilogrammes.

Well, there I can see seven counters of 7,000 grammes and 7,000 grammes equals seven kilogrammes.

It's equivalent.

Number two, complete the stem sentence.

If 1,000 metres equals one kilometre, 5,000 metres equals five kilometres.

And how many of these one kilogramme masses will be equivalent to 9,000 grammes? Well that's a 1,000 gramme mass.

And nine of them would be equivalent to nine kilogrammes because 1,000 grammes equals one kilogramme.

Would you rather have three kilogrammes of chocolate or 2,000 grammes of chocolate? Well, depends on whether you like chocolate, but whatever your answer, you should have said three kilogrammes equals 3,000 grammes and 2,000 grammes equals two kilogrammes.

And then number five, order these distances from shortest to longest.

It goes, three kilometres, four kilometres, five kilometres, 10 kilometres.

So putting it back into order, 3,000 metres, four kilometres, 5,000 metres, 10 kilometres.

Well donee if you got those.

And number six, Oakley's got a mass of six kilogrammes and Beau's got a mass of 7,000 grammes.

They're quite similar.

Their masses are quite similar, but what's the difference? Oakley has a mass of six kilogrammes and Beau has a mass of 7,000 grammes or seven kilogrammes.

So the difference therefore is one kilogramme.

And if you said that as 1,000 grammes, that's correct too.

Are you ready for the next cycle? That's millilitres to litres are millimetres to metres.

We've got a jug here and it's got a capacity of 1,000 millilitres.

So a litre jug as it is, might be thought of as a 1,000 millilitre jug.

And we've got a metre stick here.

And this metre stick might be thought of instead as a 1,000 millimetre stick.

Wouldn't tend to call it that, but that's what it is.

So Izzy's drawing circles to help convert from different numbers of millilitres to litres using the stem sentence.

So it's a bit like using counters really, very similar indeed.

So she says, if 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, mm millilitres equals mm litres.

Say that with me please.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, mm millilitres equals mm litres, just you please.

Very good.

Let's practise.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 2,000 millilitres equals two litres.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 3,000 millilitres equals three litres.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 4,000 millilitres equals four litres.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 5,000 millilitres equals five litres.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 6,000 millilitres equals six litres.

One more.

If 1,000 millilitres equals one litre, 7,000 millilitres equals seven litres.

The same relationship exists between millimetres and metres.

So we can see this on a double number line, a conversion line.

And we can use our stem sentence.

So if 1,000 millimetres equals one metre, mm millimetres equals mm metres.

So you may wish to have a little practise of that.

It's time for a check.

Fill in the gaps in the stem sentence.

If mm millimetres equals mm metres, 8,000 millimetres equals mm metres.

Pause the video, give that a go.

How'd you get on? Let's have a look.

If 1,000 millimetres equals one metre, that's our known fact.

Hopefully that one's locked and loaded and you're ready to go with that.

8,000 millimetres equals eight metres.

Let's have a little check.

Which holds more? A can of paint containing 3,000 millilitres or a can of paint containing five litres? Well Lucas has had a go at that already and he says, 3,000 is greater than five, so that 3,000 millilitres can must contain more paint.

Is Lucas correct? Pause the video and give him some feedback please.

What did you think? No, that's not right what he said.

He's forgotten to convert the 3,000 millilitres into litres.

And so we can see that with our number line.

Here's the 5,000 millilitres or five litres, and here's the 3,000 millilitres or three litres.

So, he's had another go and he says 3,000 millilitres is three litres, so the five litre can contains more paint.

That's more likely Lucas.

Well done, good correction.

It's time for some practise.

Convert the millilitres to litres.

So let's see how many have you got there? Can you turn that into litres? Fill in the gaps in the stem sentence.

You've already got parts of it filled in, the 7,000 millimetres part.

A little problem, which holds more? A can of paint containing 5,000 millilitres or a can of paint containing 10 litres? Explain.

Izzy's dad is a builder and he's measuring the walls of a house.

Wall A is four metres in width and wall B is 5,000 millimetres.

Which is wider? And Izzy has four 1,000 millilitre bottles of fizzy drink.

And Lucas has three 2,000 millilitre bottles of fizzy drink.

How much fizzy drink do they have in total in litres? So you've got a little bit of adding to do and then a conversion to make.

Pause a video and give that a go.

Welcome back.

How did you get on with that? Would you like some answers? Number one, convert the millilitres to litres.

Well I can see six of those circles, 6,000 millilitres and that's six litres.

And the stem sentence reads, if 1,000 millimetres equals one metre, 7,000 millimetres equals seven metres.

And then, which holds more? A can of paint containing 5,000 millilitres or a can of paint containing 10 litres? Well, 5,000 millilitres when we convert it becomes five litres.

So the 10 litre can holds more paint.

And then, Izzy's dad's a builder and he's measuring the walls of a house.

Wall A is four metres in width and wall B is 5,000 millimetres.

So you can see that's different units, so we would need to convert them.

Which is wider? Well, 1,000 millimetres equals one metre.

So 5,000 millimetres equals five metres and that means that wall B is wider.

And then Izzy's got four 1,000 millimetre bottles of fizzy drink.

And Lucas has got three 2,000 millilitre bottles of fizzy drink.

How much do they have in total in litres? One litre equals 1,000 millilitres, so 4,000 millilitres plus 6,000 millilitres equals four litres plus six litres and that is 10 litres.

So, well done if you said 10 litres.

We've come to the end of the lesson.

I've had lots of fun exploring this concept with you.

I hope you've had fun too.

Today, we've been converting from smaller to larger units of measure.

So grammes, metres, millilitres, and millimetres have something in common.

1,000 of them are equal to a larger standard unit of measure.

So let's have a look at some examples.

1,000 grammes, that's the smaller unit, equals is equivalent to one kilogramme.

That's a larger unit.

1,000 metres, metres being the smaller unit, is equivalent to one kilometre, one kilometre being the larger unit or the kilometre part being the larger unit.

1,000 millilitres equals one litre.

So millilitres is a smaller unit and litres is the larger unit and those two are equivalent.

And then 1,000 millimetres equals one metre.

Millimetres are the smaller unit, metres, the larger unit, those values are equivalent.

See if you can remember those.

See if you can have those memorised.

You might want to write them down.

Maybe your teacher could write them on the wall, something like that.

'Cause they're really important and you do need to use them a lot in the next lessons coming up.

And this can be used as a starting point for various conversions, as shown by the double number line below.

So that number line can be used for all of those conversions.

Well done on today's achievement.

I think it's time for a little pat on the back and you can breathe.

You've finished that maths lesson.

It's been a real pleasure working with you and I hope to see you again in the future for some more maths.

But until then, enjoy the rest of your day.

Take care and goodbye.