Year 6 Measurement Programme of Study Year 6 Measurement There are some very hard concepts involved with Measurement in Year 6. Conversion of units of measurement continues to be a key element, and it is suggested that converting between units such as kilometres and miles is done graphically. Converting metric units should be done with up to 3 decimal places. Calculating the area of shapes, including parallelograms is a new target, with some areas e.g. rectangles, being found by using formulae. By year 6 children should have a secure understanding of the difference between perimeter and area. Many children can be confused as to the difference and will often work out area by measuring round a shape; misunderstanding the rule for calculating the area of a rectangle. Finding the area of more complex shapes, or shapes which can be split into several rectangles, is also introduced, together with the surface area of boxes. With 3D shapes it is very helpful to have real objects handy to discuss the number of sides etc. The area of right angled triangles is calculated by halving rectangles. An enjoyable extension activity involving measuring and calculating perimeter and area is to work with circles. There are many examples of circles in the real world that can be used for practical work eg measure round the outside of a baked bean tin etc. With a little help and a lot of practical work, children should be able to see that there is a relationship between the circumference of a circle and the diameter  - the circumference being about 3 times the diameter. From this pi can be introduced, usually as 3.14 and the sign can also be introduced - p Year 6 Measurement Programme of Study Pupils should be taught to: •    solve problems involving the calculation and conversion of units of measure, using decimal notation up to three decimal places where appropriate •    use, read, write and convert between standard units, converting measurements of length, mass, volume and time from a smaller unit of measure to a larger unit, and vice versa, using decimal notation to up to three decimal places •    convert between miles and kilometres •    recognise that shapes with the same areas can have different perimeters and vice versa •    recognise when it is possible to use formulae for area and volume of shapes •    calculate the area of parallelograms and triangles •    calculate, estimate and compare volume of cubes and cuboids using standard units, including centimetre cubed (cm3) and cubic metres (m3), and extending to other units such as mm3 and km3. Go to Year 6 Measurement