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Understand Grams and Kilograms

Students will learn the standard units for measuring mass — grams (g) and kilograms (kg) — and develop benchmarks for each. They will identify which unit is appropriate for measuring common objects and understand that 1 kg = 1,000 g.

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Understand Grams and Kilograms

Grade 3 · Liquid Volume & Mass Measurement · question 1 of 3

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12 rungs. A star at the top.

Which is a better match: a grape in grams, or a grape in kilograms?

How it is taught

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Mass is how much matter an object has.

A gram is light, and a kilogram is much heavier.

Read it: Read the scale

The numbers on this scale go 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 kilograms. The pointer stops 2 small marks past 10, so it reads 12 kg.

  1. Find how much the numbers go up by: 5 kg.
  2. Find what each small mark is worth: 1 kg.
  3. Start at the number before the pointer and count on the small marks: 10, 11, 12.

A scale does not print every number, so the small marks fill in the rest.

Every small mark between two numbers is worth the same amount.

Counting on from the number before the pointer lands you on the reading.

Know what each number and each small mark is worth, then count to the pointer.

Reading 10 kg, the number just before the pointer, and stopping there.

The pointer is past 10. Count the small marks on: 11, 12. It reads 12 kg.

A scale is numbered 0, 20, 40 kg. Each small mark is 2 kg. The pointer is 4 small marks past 20. How many kilograms? — 28. Start at 20 and count on 4 marks of 2: 22, 24, 26, 28.

Grams vs. kilograms · 1 kg = 1,000 g

Today we're learning how to measure mass — how heavy something is. We use two units: grams and kilograms.

How heavy is it?Mass tells us how heavy something is — measured in grams or kilograms.gGRAMSfor LIGHT things≈ 1 paperclipkgKILOGRAMSfor HEAVIER things≈ 1 textbookHow are they related?1kg=1,000gA banana — grams or kilograms?Think: bananas are pretty light…Grams! ≈ 120 gREMEMBER1 kg =1,000 glight → grams · heavy → kilograms
Grade 3 · Measuring mass with the right unit

First, grams. We write grams with a small letter g. Grams measure things that are light.

Here's a benchmark you can remember — one paperclip weighs about one gram.

Next, kilograms. We write kilograms with k-g. Kilograms measure heavier things.

Another benchmark — a thick textbook weighs about one kilogram.

So how are grams and kilograms related to each other?

One kilogram equals one thousand grams. That's a lot of paperclips!

Quick check. To weigh a banana, would we use grams or kilograms?

A banana is light, so we use grams. A banana weighs about one hundred and twenty grams.

Light things use grams. Heavier things use kilograms. And remember — one kilogram is one thousand grams!

What you see

While they climb, your page writes one true line to ask about tonight, and a short note each Sunday.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics
Did you know?

A chessboard has 64 squares — share them out between the 8 rows and each row holds exactly 8.

Today’s goal
1 star — one skill mastered, every rung of its ladder climbed
Climbing now
Divide within 100

An example student.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Maya earned 2 stars this week — Interpret multiplication as equal groups, which took 6 answers over 3 days before its star landed 3 days ago and Multiply by 6, 7, 8 and 9. Next up: Divide within 100.

An example week.

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