You are here
Outdoor Maths
Investigate measurement in an outdoor setting...
Years: 5, 6
Duration: 90mins
Curriculum Objectives: 8
Subject: Maths

Resource Overview
Maths is all around us, so why not use the great outdoors as a teaching tool? This carousel lesson suggests six fantastic outdoor Maths activities, all based around the theme of measurement. Challenge children to explore quirky quadrats, and have a go at some green ‘guess-timation’ of distances; encourage them to investigate the heights, ages, and number of trees of leaves on trees, all whilst using a variety of mathematical skills. These tasks could be done on a rotation, or over a series of lessons instead, depending on your preference. However you choose to run the activities, just enjoy learning without worksheets, and remember that a classroom doesn’t need to have four walls!
Some activities inspired by Wild Time For Schools, with thanks. Explore more outdoor ideas here: http://schools.projectwildthing.com/.
Photo © BCC
Curriculum Objectives
- Year 5 (Age 9-10)
- Convert between different units of metric measure (for example, kilometre and metre; centimetre and metre; centimetre and millimetre; gram and kilogram; litre and millilitre).
- Calculate and compare the area of rectangles (including squares), and including using standard units, square centimetres (cm^2) and square metres (m^2) and estimate the area of irregular shapes.
- Use all four operations to solve problems involving measure using decimal notation, including scaling.
- Know angles are measured in degrees: estimate and compare acute, obtuse and reflex angles.
- Year 6 (Age 10-11)
- Solve problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
- Solve problems involving the calculation and conversion of units of measure, using decimal notation up to three decimal places where appropriate.
- Use estimation to check answers to calculations and determine, in the context of a problem, an appropriate degree of accuracy.
- 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.