Get your students thinking about measurement in a meaningful and visual way with our Comparing Capacity PowerPoint! This interactive activity supports young learners in understanding the concept of capacity by exploring the comparative language of ‘holds more’ and ‘holds less’.

With a clear, engaging format, students will be presented with pairs of containers and asked to decide which holds more or less. The interactive design makes it perfect for whole-class instruction using your interactive whiteboard – students simply click their answer to receive immediate feedback. It's a fun and responsive way to practise comparing objects based on size and volume without needing to measure exact amounts.

This PowerPoint works beautifully as a standalone digital resource or can be paired with hands-on exploration using real containers and water or sand for a multi-sensory experience. It builds important language and foundational knowledge that students can transfer to practical measurement tasks in the classroom and beyond.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Understand the concept of capacity as the amount a container can hold
• ✅ Use the comparative language of ‘holds more’ and ‘holds less’
• ✅ Visually compare two containers to determine capacity differences
• ✅ Build early measurement vocabulary and reasoning skills
• ✅ Engage with digital learning through interactive question slides

What’s Included:

• Interactive PowerPoint presentation with multiple comparison slides
• Click-to-select format providing immediate visual feedback
• Bright, simple container images ideal for early years learners

Materials Needed:

• Interactive whiteboard or display screen
• Optional: a variety of real containers and water/sand for hands-on modelling
• Mini whiteboards or clipboards for students to record their predictions
• Paper towels or trays for tidy clean-up if using liquids

How to Use:

1. Open the PowerPoint in slideshow mode on your interactive whiteboard
2. Show each pair of containers and ask students to predict which one holds more or less
3. Have students click their answer to receive feedback
4. Model the comparison with real containers if available
5. Revisit slides as needed to reinforce language and reasoning

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during a whole-class measurement introduction lesson
• 💡 Pair with a hands-on water exploration station to test predictions
• 💡 Display a container mystery each day and ask students to vote before revealing
• 💡 Add this activity to a measurement learning centre on the IWB or classroom computer
• 💡 Encourage students to use “holds more” and “holds less” in full sentences

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Have a visual word wall featuring key capacity terms for reference during the activity
• 💛 Reinforce correct answers with physical demonstrations using classroom items
• 💛 Extend learning by introducing standard units of measurement after this comparison activity
• 💛 Repeat the activity over time to solidify concepts through repetition and routine

Comparing Capacity PowerPoint is a simple yet powerful way to introduce capacity language and comparison skills – the perfect foundation for future volume and measurement lessons!