Capacity questions are stronger when students can see the container. They need to read the scale, name the unit, notice how full the container is and compare the amount with the total capacity.
The Daily Maths Review capacity tool gives teachers a screen-based cup, bottle and jug model with millilitre and litre modes, fill controls, empty, half, full and random actions, and live labels for amount, capacity, amount left and fullness.
Start with the container
Before students read the number, ask what the whole container holds. This keeps the scale connected to capacity rather than treating every fill level as a standalone number.
- Choose the cup, bottle or jug.
- Ask students to read the total capacity first.
- Set a fill amount and ask students how much is in the container.
- Ask how much space is left before checking the label.
Connect millilitres and litres
Switching between units while the same container stays visible helps students see that the amount has not changed. Only the unit and the way it is written changed.
Set the bottle to 500 ml, ask students how full it is, switch to litres, then connect 500 ml, 0.5 l and half full.
Move from model to practice
Once students can explain the marked container, move to measurement practice questions. If they read the wrong unit or miss the amount left, return to the capacity tool and compare the fill line with the total capacity.