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Learning area: Mathematics
Year level: Year 5
Country: Australia
General capability: Intercultural understanding

This learning sequence focuses on extending students' knowledge about familiar metric units and supports the Australian Curriculum for Mathematics: Measurement and Geometry.

Students engage in a guided research task to extend their knowledge about familiar metric units, their relationships with superseded units in the Australian context and units from other cultures. The focus is on units of length, area, volume/capacity, mass and temperature.



A paper cutout of Monkey King, Sun Wukong, balancing on a cloudA paper cutout of Monkey King, Sun Wukong,
balancing on a cloud

Acknowledgements

Image: Digital illustration of Chinese Monkey King, Getty Images

Related resources

Australian Curriculum alignment

Learning area: Mathematics

Year level: Year 5

Country: Australia

General capability: Intercultural understanding

Content description: Choose appropriate units of measurement for length, area, volume, capacity and mass (ACMMG108)

Elaboration:

  • investigating alternative measures of scale to demonstrate that these vary between countries and change over  time, for example temperature measurement in Australia, Indonesia, Japan and USA

Acknowledgements

The Australian Curriculum alignment statement is based on the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) materials which are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Australia (CC BY NC SA) licence.

Activity 1: Getting the measure of measurement

In this activity you will become familiar with types of measurements used in different countries for length, area, mass, capacity or volume, and temperature and other curious units.

  1. In groups of four, select one of the types of measurement to investigate length, area, mass, capacity or volume, or temperature and other curious units as listed in the table below.
  2. Examine the measurements by clicking on the links below or by scrolling down the page to access the glossary of units in use by other cultures. Answer these questions:
    • Which measurements that have English names tell you how the name has arisen?
    • Are there similarities or differences between measurements in Asian countries compared to those in Britain (and the United States) for temperature and curious units?
    • Which measurements are the same as those used in Australia?
    • How important is it for countries to use the same measurements?
    • Share your findings with the whole class.

Length

British Commonwealth, including India
  • hand: a traditional unit of length, however it is now used mostly to measure the height of horses – approximately 10 cm.
  • bolt: a commercial unit of length used to measure a length of finished cloth – about 100 yards (about 91 m) long.
  • inch: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to 1/12 of a foot – approximately 2.5 cm.
  • foot: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to 1/3 of a yard – approximately 30 cm.
  • yard: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to 3 feet – approximately 90 cm.
  • mile: an old British Imperial unit equal to 1760 yards – about 1.6 km.
  • chain: an old British Imperial unit equal to 22 yards, the length of a cricket pitch – about 20 m.
India
  • hasta: a traditional Indian informal unit equal to the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger – about 45 cm.
China
  • ch'ih: an old colonial unit – approximately 35 cm.
  • li: a traditional unit of distance with no fixed standard, now set as 500 m.
  • gongli: Chinese for kilometre, therefore 1 gongli = 2 li.
Japan
  • shaku: used for several traditional Japanese units. For length, the shaku is a Japanese foot, about 30 cm. It is now used as a metric unit.
  • ken: a traditional Japanese unit equal to 6 shaku or about 1.8 metres.
  • ri: a traditional Japanese unit equal to 12 960 shaku (Japanese foot), about 4000 metres, and now used as a metric unit.
Thailand
  • wah: a traditional unit of distance in Thailand, now defined as exactly 2 metres.

Area

British Commonwealth, including India
  • square inch: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to the area of a square 1 inch x 1 inch –  approximately 6.5 cm².
  • square foot: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to the area of a square 1 foot x 1 foot – approximately 900 cm² or 1/11 of 1 m².
  • square yard: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to the area of a square 3 feet x 3 feet – approximately 8100 cm² or about 0.85 of 1 m².
  • acre: an old British Imperial unit, replaced in 1959 by metric units, equal to a land area of 4840 square yards – approximately 2/5 of 1 hectare.
India, Bangladesh
  • decimel (alternative spelling decimal): an old unit replaced by metric units, but still used in remote areas – approximately equal to 1/100 acre or about 40 m².
Nepal
  • kattha: a traditional land area unit in South Asia, still used in Nepal, equal to about 340 m².
Pakistan
  • marla: a traditional land area unit in Pakistan; standardised under British rule to be 30.25 square yards, or about 25.3 m².
  • kanal: a traditional land area unit in Pakistan; standardised under British rule to equal exactly 605 square yards or 1/8 acre or about 1/20 of a hectare.
Korea
  • pyong: a traditional Korean unit – about 3.3 m². Used in Korea to measure areas inside and outside buildings.
Japan
  • tatami: equal to the area of a traditional tatami mat, about 90 cm by 180 cm or 1.62 m², used for measuring the area of rooms.
  • tsubo: an informal unit to measure area inside buildings. One tsubo is about 3.3 m², the area that can be covered neatly by two traditional tatami mats.
South Asia
  • anna: a unit for land area. In Pakistan, the anna is about 173 m². In Nepal, the anna is nearly twice that size, or about 32 m².
Vietnam
  • cong: a metric land area unit. One cong equals 1000 m², which is 0.1 hectare or about one quarter of an acre.
  • sao: a traditional land area unit, varies somewhat from province to province, can equal from 360 to 500 m².

Mass

India
  • ratti: a traditional Indian unit of mass measurement, now standardised as 0.12125 gram or about 1/8 of one gram.
British Commonwealth, including India
  • ounce: a traditional unit based on the pound; in some countries or cultures it has been 1/12 (troy ounce) or 1/16 (avoirdupois ounce) of a pound, now standardised as 1/16 of pound.
  • pound: a traditional unit now standardised as exactly 453.59237 grams.
  • stone: a traditional unit in the UK and Europe, varied from 3 to 12 kg, but in the imperial system normally 14 pounds, used to measure body mass before metrication.
  • ton: a traditional unit equal to 2240 pounds (about 1016 kg) in the UK and 2000 pounds in the US. After metrication 1000 kg became 1 tonne.
South East Asia, Japan
  • kin: a traditional South East Asia unit, the Japanese version of a catty – about 1.3 pounds or 600 grams.
Japan
  • momme: traditionally used in silk and pearling industries, still used to measure the weight of pearls, equal to 3.75 g.
  • hyakume: now set as equal to 160 momme.
Thailand
  • baht: a traditional weight unit in Thailand, now equal to exactly 15 grams or 1/40 catty, originally the weight of a baht silver coin, used to measure the weight of precious metals.
South East Asia, Japan, China, Thailand
  • catty: a traditional unit in South East Asia; in Japan about 1.3 pounds or 600 grams; in China about 800 grams. In Thailand a catty is used as a metric unit equal to 600 grams.
China
  • jin: a traditional unit in China similar to the catty in Malaysia (1.33 pounds or approx 600 g); now a metric unit in China, set at 500 grams.
  • gongjin: a metric unit in China, referred to as a 'metric jin' and equal to 1 kilogram.
Japan
  • kan or kanme: a traditional unit, now set at 1000 momme or 3.75 kilograms.
East Asia
  • tael: a traditional East Asia unit; some variation but about 1.2 ounces or 35 to 36 grams.

Capacity or volume

British Commonwealth, including India
  • fluid ounce: an old imperial and present US unit for liquid measure. A British fluid ounce of water weighs exactly one ounce at a specified temperature and pressure, less than 30 millilitres.
  • pint: an old imperial unit, equal to 20 fluid ounces. Also, 8 pints = 1 gallon.
  • gallon: an imperial unit related to pints, 1 gallon = 8 pints, originally meaning a bucketful, later standardised.
  • cubic yard: an imperial unit, equal to the space occupied by a cube 1 yard x 1 yard x 1 yard or 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet – about 3/4 of 1 m³.
India
  • seer: a traditional unit of mass and volume. For volume it is the space occupied by 1 seer (mass, about 1 kg) of dry grain – about 1 litre.
China
  • dou: a traditional unit but it is now 10 litres.
  • sheng: a traditional unit in China that is now a little more than one litre.
Japan
  • shaku: a traditional Japanese unit. The same word is used for length and area. For volume the shaku is about 18 millilitres.
  • sho: a traditional unit of liquid volume equal to approximately 1.8 litres.
  • go: a traditional unit, about 180 millilitres, the common size for serving the Japanese rice drink sake.
  • koku: a traditional Japanese unit of volume, about 180 litres, regarded as an estimate of the amount of rice needed to feed a person for a year.
Thailand
  • tanan: a Thai unit equal to one litre.
  • ban: the Thai name for 1000 litres or 1 m³.
  • thangsat: an old unit for measuring dry material such as rice, after metrication set as 20 litres, sometimes called a sat.
British Empire, including India and Malaya 
  • gill: an old imperial unit equal to a quarter of a pint or 5 fluid ounces, in the US equal to 4 fluid ounces or about half a cup.
  • acre-foot: an imperial unit used to measure the capacity of lakes and reservoirs. One acre-foot is a volume one foot deep covering an area of one acre – about 1200 cubic metres.

Temperature

Measuring temperature

In the Celsius scale the freezing point of water is set at 0˚C and the boiling point at 100˚C (a range of 100˚C). In the Fahrenheit scale the freezing point of water is 32˚F and the boiling point is 212˚F (a range of 180˚F).

Countries that use the Celsius scale

USA, Myanmar (Burma) and Liberia are some of the few countries to use the Fahrenheit scale to measure and record air temperature.

25˚Celsius is equivalent to 77˚ Fahrenheit and 100˚F is equivalent to about 38˚ Celsius. °Celsius = (°Fahrenheit – 32) ÷ 1.8

  • dog night: on very cold nights in some cultures people sleep with their dogs to keep warm! So, a two-dog night is a cold night requiring two dogs to keep warm.

Curious units

Four of these units are measures of liquid (often wine and other alcohol) measures. The other four are measures of mass and are often used in the weighing of gems, diamonds and precious stones.

Liquid volume
  • methuselah: a large wine bottle holding about 6 litres or 8 times the volume of a regular bottle. A standard wine or champagne bottle is about 750 ml.
  • hogshead: a traditional unit of volume for liquids, originally varied depending on the liquid, now about 238 litres in both the British Imperial system and the US system. The origin of the name is not known.
  • fluid ounce: an old imperial and present US unit for liquid measure. A British fluid ounce of water weighs exactly one ounce at a specified temperature and pressure, less than 30 millilitres.
  • jigger: a unit of volume for alcohol, usually equal to about 1.5 US fluid ounces or about 44 millilitres.
  • noggin: a traditional unit of volume often associated with alcohol. It is used in Ireland and taken to be about one quarter of a pint, but sometimes half a pint.
Weight
  • grain: a traditional unit, a building block of the English weight system. Originally the grain was defined in England as the weight of a barleycorn. The definition of the grain differed from one country to another, but typically it was about 50 milligrams, now equal to 1/480 of a troy ounce.
  • troy ounce: a very old English unit used in trading with the French, equal to 480 grains (originally of barley corn), 5760 grains are equal to the troy pound.
  • carat: a unit used for diamonds and precious stones, traditionally equal to 4 grains. Jewellers now use a metric carat defined since 1907 to be exactly 200 milligrams.
  • pennyweight: in the version of the troy system used by jewellers, there are 24 grains in a pennyweight and 20 pennyweights in an ounce.

Did you know?

In 1959, British and American imperial units were established and defined in metric units, for example 1 ft = 30.48 cms.

Common metric units are a subset of the unit system known as the Système International d’Unités (SI) in which all measures are precisely defined and recorded.

Activity 2: Monkey's conversion

In this activity you will identify the types of measurements referred to in a Chinese story about the Monkey King and consider these in comparison to measurements used in other countries.

Read the following story 'Monkey's conversion' and answer the following questions:

  • What units of measurement have been used in the story?
  • How would you define length?
  • How do you measure length in Australia?
  • Do you think length is measured the same way in all countries?
  • Why would it be important in today's world for countries to agree to have a precise shared unit of measurement for length?

Monkey's conversion

The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, had been creating havoc in the Heavenly Palace. All the generals and soldiers were very upset as they couldn't control Monkey’s behavior. The Jade Emperor was so alarmed that he sent the Helpful Sage to the Western Land of Perfect Bliss to ask the Buddha to reprimand the Monkey King.

He eventually arrived at the Buddha's Thunder Monastery and, bowing before him, told the story of what was happening in the Heavenly Palace. The Buddha replied that he would take care of the evil monkey.

The Buddha went straight to the gate of the Hall of the Miraculous Mist where the Monkey King, who had transformed himself into a monkey with three heads and six arms, was waving his cudgel. The soldiers could not get anywhere near him.

The Buddha ordered the fighting to stop. Sun Wukong used his magic to turn back into himself and said angrily to the Buddha, 'Who are you and how dare you tell me to stop fighting?'

'I am the Venerable Sakyamuni from the Western Land of Perfect Bliss,’ replied the Buddha with a smile. ‘You have dared to rebel against Heaven, Monkey, but you must now surrender.'

'I'll stop fighting,' replied Monkey, 'if the Jade Emperor moves out of his palace and hands it over to me. I can transform myself and can travel ninety thousand gongli in a single jump'.

The Buddha stretched out his hand and said, 'Well then, if you can somersault out of my palm, I'll make the Jade Emperor give you his palace'.

Sun Wukong immediately jumped into the Buddha's palm thinking, 'I can do this easily as his palm is very small, not even a ch'ih wide'. He jumped in a streak of light and disappeared. Monkey stopped when he saw five pink pillars and, thinking they were marking the end of Heaven, wrote a message on the middle pillar. He then somersaulted back to where he began.

'How about that?' bragged Monkey. 'Now I will have the Jade Emperor’s palace.' The Buddha smiled. 'You never left my palm. Just look down.' He then opened his palm and there was the message Monkey had written on the middle finger of the Buddha’s right hand. The ink was not yet dry. Monkey had lost his wager.


This tale is retold by Pamela Stewart and is adapted from part of the traditional Chinese story, Journey to the West.

Acknowledgements

Story: adapted from the Chinese novel The Journey to the West
Image: Digital illustration of Chinese Monkey King, Getty Images

The Monkey King

viaGI_Sunwukongcutout_copy

Activity 3: Presenting length, area and mass

In this activity you will research the measurements of length, area and mass used in different countries of Asia and provide a practical demonstration to the class.

  1. Before starting this activity, in groups of three, provide a definition of length, area and mass. As a class come to an agreement about the best definitions. Check your definitions against those on the right.
  2. In groups of three or four select either Task A or Task B for one of the measurements below.
  3. In your group read the research task carefully.
  4. View the list of useful websites in the References. Discuss and select which ones you will use for your research. A good search term is 'measurement units +'.
  5. Discuss how your group could present your research information and provide a practical demonstration using the units of measurement.
  6. Create a table with these column headings:
    • Unit
    • Country
    • Measurement use
    • Details about whether the unit is old or in current use and how the unit compares with Australian metric units
  7. Use information from your research and only fill in the information relating to your group's task.
  8. Each group is to present your research to the whole class.
  9. Reflect on what you have learnt when all presentations are completed by answering the following questions.
    • What did I already know?
    • What did I find interesting and want to know more about?
    • What have I learnt?

Length

Task A

Year 5 line

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure length in India, China and Japan. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used. Use the information to prepare a presentation using some lengths of string to represent each unit of measurement.

Australia began using the metric system in the 1960s. Include units of length such as a metre and centimetre so you can make some comparisons when measuring an object in the classroom as part of the presentation.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: yard, chain, mile. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some of the older units are still used in some regions.)

China: Your task is to describe and display this unit: ch'ih.

Japan: Your task is to describe and display these units: shaku, ken.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of length called a bolt? What is it used to measure?

Task B

Year 5 line

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure length in India, Japan, Thailand and China. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used. Use the information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began using the metric system in the 1960s. Include units of length such as a metre and kilometre so you can make some comparisons when measuring an object in the classroom as part of the presentation.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: inch, foot, yard, hasta. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some of the older units are still used in some regions.)

Japan: Your task is to describe and display this unit: ri.

Thailand: Your task is to describe and display this unit: wah.

China: Your task is to describe and display these units: li, gongli.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of length called a hand? What is it used to measure?

Area

Task A

Year 5 Area

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure length in India, Korea and Japan. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as square centimetre (cm²) and square metre (m²) so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching. Think of ways to show the comparisons visually.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: square inch square foot square yard. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some of the older units are still used in some regions.)

Korea: Your task is to describe and display this unit: pyong.

Japan: Your task is to describe and display these units: shaku, tatami, tsubo.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of length called an anna? What is it used to measure?

Task B

Year 5 Area

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure length in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Nepal. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as square metre (m²) and hectare (ha²) so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching. Think of ways to show the comparisons visually.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: square yard, acre. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However some older units are still used in some regions.)

Pakistan: Your task is to describe and display these units: marla, kanal.

Vietnam: Your task is to describe and display these units: cong, sao.

Nepal: Your task is to describe and display this unit: kattha (or kata).

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of length called a decimal? What is it used to measure?

Mass

Task A

Year 5 mass

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure mass in India, Japan and Thailand. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as gram and kilogram so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching. Think of ways to show the comparisons visually.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: ratti, ounce, pound. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some older units are still used in some regions.)

Japan: Your task is to describe and display these units: kin, momme, hyakume.

Thailand: Your task is to describe and display this unit: bhat.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of mass called a catty? What is it used to measure?

Task B

Year 5 mass

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure mass in India, Thailand, China and Japan. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as kilogram and tonne so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching. Think of ways to show the comparisons visually.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: pound, stone, ton. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some older units are still used in some regions.)

Thailand: Your task is to describe and display this unit: koyan.

China: Your task is to describe and display these units: jin, gongjin.

Japan: Your task is to describe and display this unit: kan.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of mass called a tael? What is it used to measure?

Definitions

  • Length – the spread from one end to another
  • Area – the size a surface takes up or the size of a surface measured in square units
  • Mass – a defined quantity of matter
  • Volume – the amount of space an object occupies
  • Capacity – the amount a container holds

Activity 4: Volume, temperature and curious units

In this activity you will develop shared definitions and undertake research into how some countries in Asia describe volume, capacity, temperature and other curious units. Finally you will develop a presentation to share your findings.

  1. For this activity choose a partner. In pairs, develop definitions for volume or capacity and temperature. With another pair of students come to an agreement about these definitions.
  2. With your partner, select one of the research tasks below. Start by looking at some of the websites mentioned in the References to find out information about the measurements. You may find other websites using search terms such as 'Indian units measurements'. Replace 'Indian' with the country of your focus.
  3. With your partner discuss possible ways to present your information, such as by:
    • creating a poster
    • conducting a demonstration using objects
    • displaying images and data on a PowerPoint presentation
    • displaying your information in an infographic.
  4. For ideas about infographics go to the Create interactive infographics website for ideas.
  5. Finally present your information to the class.
  6. When all presentations are completed, vote as a class which group gave the most informative and interesting information about measurements used in other countries. Discuss the reasons for your decision.

Volume and capacity

Task A

Small red cube

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure volume or capacity in India, Thailand, China and Japan. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation. You may wish to use containers as part of your demonstration.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as cubic centimetre (cm³) and litre so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: fluid ounce, pint, seer. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some older units are still used in some regions.)

Thailand: Your task is to describe and display this unit: tanan.

China: Your task is to describe and display this unit: sheng.

Japan: Your task is to describe and display these units: shaku, sho.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of volume called a gill? What is it used to measure?

Task B

Small red cube

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure volume or capacity in India, Thailand, China and Japan. Make a note of the traditional units that are still being used in local markets. Use this information to prepare a presentation. You may wish to use containers as part of your demonstration.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Include units such as litre and cubic metre (cm³) so you can compare them with the value of the units you are researching.

India: Your task is to describe and display these units: gallon, cubic yard. (Did you know that the Republic of India adopted the metric system on 1 April 1957 which replaced the British [or imperial] system of units? However, some older units are still used in some regions.)

Thailand: Your task is to describe and display these units: ban, thangsat.

China: Your task is to describe and display this unit: dou.

Japan: Your task is to describe and display these units: go, koku.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of volume called an acre-foot? What is it used to measure?

Temperature

Orange cartoon sun
Thermometer

Your task is to research information about the following units used to measure temperature in different countries. Use this information to prepare a presentation.

Australia began adopting the metric system in the 1960s. Australia’s standard unit of temperature is degree Celsius, written as ˚C. The other temperature unit commonly used is degree Fahrenheit (˚F).

  • Explain how the two scales, Fahrenheit and Celsius, are defined.
  • Name a country that uses the Fahrenheit scale to measure daily air temperatures.
  • Find out the formula for converting Celsius into Fahrenheit. If the temperature in Sydney is 25˚C, what would be the temperature in ˚F?
  • How do you convert Fahrenheit to Celcius? 100˚F is a hot summer’s day. What temperature is that to the nearest degree on the Celsius scale?

Challenge: What can you find out about the ancient unit of temperature called a dog night? What is it used to measure?

Curious units

Cartoon purple grapes
Black and white simple drawing of a diamond carat

Your task is to research information about the measurement units listed below. They are all units used in some specialist businesses and some have a long history of use. Some of the units are used to measure mass (or weight), some are used to measure volume. Investigate:

  • methuselah and grain
  • hogshead and troy ounce
  • fluid ounce and carat
  • jigger and pennyweight.

Challenge: What can you find out about the unit of volume called a noggin? What is it used to measure?

Acknowledgements

Image: AEF

Three speech bubbles with questions regarding school presentations

This learning sequence is designed to assist students realise that units of measurement originally grew out of diverse cultural contexts. Students will become aware that:

  • units of measurement have evolved over many centuries and will continue to evolve
  • most human cultures have developed units of measurement unique to their society and history
  • many countries have their own units of measurement unique to their culture that are still used on a day-to-day basis
  • the spread of the British Empire led to the use of imperial units for trade between the countries of the British Commonwealth, and their continued use in some countries today
  • the developing global economy has created a demand for units to become more precisely defined and universal, hence the emergence of the use of the International System of Units (SI units).

In the research tasks you may wish to include additional units which link to countries from the Asia region that are relevant to students in the class or link to the language being taught in the school.

Activity 1: Getting the measure of measurement

Given the complexity of the task, it is important that you provide students with some scaffolded information before they begin their research.

Students have the opportunity to investigate the origins of a range of measurement units from the countries of Asia and how they have evolved. During this task students will become familiar with names of measurements and have some understanding of their attributes such as mass, weight or length.

There is an opportunity during these activities for students to practise the pronunciation of specific units of measurement if they originate from another country and discuss whether they have been adapted for use in English.

Activity 2: Monkey's conversion

If you are developing a cross-curriculum teaching and learning program, you may wish to concentrate on just one country such as China; for example, the Chinese story 'Monkey's conversion' includes a number of measurements. Through this story students can gain insight into another culture and the origin of names given to measurements, and consider these in light of measurements used in Australia today.

Activity 3: Presenting length, area and mass

The research tasks associated with this activity encourage students to research the history and origins of units of measurement from a range of countries in the Asia region as well as imperial units used in Australia prior to the 1960s. Make sure there is an even distribution of these research tasks among groups of students.

It is not intended that students focus on precise conversions between the measurement unit systems of different countries, rather that they become familiar with some of the names of the units, their attributes (for example mass and length) and, in some instances, their magnitude.

Provide students with the opportunity to present their findings to the whole class and then reflect on what they have learnt and found interesting.

Activity 4: Volume, temperature and curous units

This activity is similar to Activity 3 however an opportunity is provided for students to be creative in their presentations about their research. For example they could create a poster, undertake to practically demonstrate the use of measurements or they could use a digital format such as a PowerPoint presentation or infographic. For information about how to create an infographic go to the Create interactive infographics website.

Useful websites 

The following websites would be useful for students when researching their task:

Use search terms for other countries to find entries about different units of measurements.


It is recommended that teachers preview websites to ensure they are suitable for their students prior to use in class. Content accessed via these links is not owned or controlled by the Asia Education Foundation and is subject to the terms of use of the associated website.

The full resource can not be displayed on a mobile device.

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