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KS2 Maths textbook

Year 6 Area, Volume and Measures: lesson and practice

  • Strand Measurement
  • Level Year 6
  • Practice 97 questions with step-by-step solutions

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 mathematics, Year 6. Content: Solve problems involving the calculation and conversion of units of measure, using decimal notation up to three decimal places, Use, read, write and convert between standard units (length, mass, volume, time) from a smaller unit to a larger unit and vice versa, Convert between miles and kilometres, Recognise that shapes with the same areas can have different perimeters and vice versa, Recognise when it is possible to use formulae for area and volume of shapes, Calculate the area of parallelograms and triangles, Calculate, estimate and compare the volume of cubes and cuboids using cm³ and m³, and extend to mm³ and km³.

Open Year 6 chapter

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Change between metric units with decimals up to three places, moving the decimal point the right way
  • Convert between hours, minutes and seconds, including decimal hours
  • Convert between miles and kilometres, using 1 mile is about 1.6 km
  • Find the area of a parallelogram and a triangle, using the perpendicular height and not the slanted side
  • Show that shapes with the same area can have different perimeters, and that a cut corner keeps the perimeter the same
  • Say when a formula can be used for the area or volume of a shape, and when a shape must be split up first
  • Find and compare the volume of cubes and cuboids, and convert between cm³, m³, mm³ and km³

You should already know

  • Multiplying and dividing decimals by 10, 100 and 1000 (Year 6, Chapter 5)
  • Area of rectangles and perimeter, and the formula P = 2a + 2b (Year 5, Chapter 8; Year 6, Chapter 8)
  • Multiplying and dividing whole numbers and decimals (Year 6, Chapters 2 and 5)
  • Equivalent units of length, mass, capacity and time (Year 5, Chapter 8)

Where this leads

  • Shapes, angles and circles, including the circumference and area of a circle (Year 6, Chapter 10)
  • Using formulae and rearranging them, and the volume of prisms (KS3)
  • Ratio and scale factors for lengths, areas and volumes (KS3)

Lessons in this chapter

  1. 9.1 Changing metric units with decimals
  2. 9.2 Converting units of time
  3. 9.3 Miles and kilometres
  4. 9.4 Area of parallelograms and triangles
  5. 9.5 Same area, different perimeters, and when to use a formula
  6. 9.6 Volume of cubes and cuboids
  7. Summary and key words
  8. Check-up and SATs-style questions

Read the whole chapter on one page (good for printing).

Practise with real exam questions

The DfE publishes every past KS2 test, with mark schemes, for free.

KS2 Maths past papers