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Lesson 2 of 5

Describe the units used to measure volume

I can describe the units used to measure volume.

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Lesson 2 of 5
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Describe the units used to measure volume

I can describe the units used to measure volume.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Volume is 3D and is measured in 3D units.
  2. Volume is measured in the cubes of common length measures.

Keywords

  • Volume - The amount of 3-dimensional space something takes up is called its volume.

  • Cubic centimetre - A cubic centimetre is volume that is made by a cube that is 1 centimetre on each edge.

  • Cubic metre - A cubic metre is volume that is made by a cube that is 1 metre on each edge.

Common misconception

Pupils may record different volumes for objects if they measure with inconsistent units (for example: different sized cubes).

Encourage pupils to compare the volume of the same object measured with two different units. Discuss what you notice and draw out the importance for a consistent unit of measure.

Base 10 blocks are a useful representation to help pupils visualise the dimensions of cubic centimetres and metres.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How many faces does a cuboid have?

Correct Answer: 6, six

Q2.
What is the name of the 3D shape with 6 square faces?

Correct Answer: cube

Q3.
Which of these is a standard unit of measure?

Correct answer: centimetres
hands
Correct answer: kilograms
cubes

Q4.
True or false: objects with different masses always have different volume.

True
Correct answer: False

Q5.
What is 16 × 5 =

Correct Answer: 80, eighty

Q6.
What is 38 × 9 =

Correct Answer: 342

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these images show a cubic centimetre?

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz

Q2.
Each cube in the image above is one cubic centimetre. What is the correct way to write the volume of this shape?

An image in a quiz
6 cubes
6 cm
6 cm
6 cm$$^2$$
Correct answer: 6 cm$$^3$$

Q3.
Each cube in the image above is one cubic centimetre. What is the volume of this shape? cm$$^3$$

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 36, thirty six

Q4.
Each cube in the image above is one cubic centimetre. What is the volume of this shape? cm$$^3$$

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 28, twenty eight

Q5.
What might you measure in cubic metres?

Correct answer: The volume of the corridor in school.
The volume of your school tray.
Correct answer: The volume of a lorry.
The volume of a lunch box.

Q6.
How many cubic centimetres are equivalent to one cubic metre?

Correct Answer: 1,000,000, 1000000, 1 000 000, one million, a million

Lesson appears in

UnitMaths / Understand the concept of volume

Maths

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