Make capacity meaningful, practical and engaging with Potion Lab — a hands-on mathematics investigation designed to take students from early conceptual understanding through to formal measurement, conversion and problem solving.
Rather than every student completing the same activity, Potion Lab provides multiple entry points so teachers can begin at the level that best matches each learner’s understanding and move them forward when they are ready.
Students explore capacity using real containers, informal units, measuring cups and jugs while estimating, measuring, comparing, recording and explaining their thinking. More confident learners can extend their understanding by working with millilitres and litres, converting between units and scaling their own potion recipes.
The resource follows five stages of learning:
Explore → Develop → Apply → Extend → Challenge
Across the progression, students can:
describe, compare and order capacity
measure using informal units
select and justify appropriate measuring tools
measure accurately using mL and L
read and interpret measurement scales
convert between millilitres and litres
scale recipes using multiplication and division
record, organise and compare results
solve real-world capacity problems
Included in this resource:
Teacher overview and learning progression, five differentiated hands-on investigations, learning intentions and success criteria, key vocabulary, discussion and challenge prompts, recording sheets, a Potion Recipe Creator and a Teacher Assessment Snapshot.
Designed for flexible classroom use, students do not need to begin at Explore. Teachers can use the progression to identify an appropriate starting point and provide support or extension as needed.
Curriculum aligned: Australian Curriculum and Victorian Curriculum 2.0.
Digital download – PDF resource.
Make measuring length meaningful with Length Lab — a hands-on mathematics investigation where students explore, measure, design, create and improve their own nature broom.
Rather than completing isolated measurement questions, students apply their learning to a real-world task. They compare and estimate lengths, measure using informal and formal units, select appropriate measuring tools, record and compare measurements, work with centimetres and metres, and use their findings to refine their design.
The resource is designed with multiple entry points, allowing students to work at an appropriate level of challenge as they progress from exploring length concepts through to measuring accurately, converting units, solving problems and explaining their mathematical thinking.
Included in the resource:
Teacher overview and guidance
Explore → Develop → Apply → Extend → Challenge learning progression
Hands-on nature broom investigation
Measuring and recording activities
Informal and formal measurement
Centimetres and metres
Comparing and ordering lengths
Planning and design tasks
Testing and improving a finished design
Student reflection and evaluation
Teacher assessment snapshot
Open-ended opportunities for extension
Perfect for whole-class mathematics, maths rotations, inquiry learning, STEM activities or outdoor learning.
Print, gather some simple natural materials and start investigating.