Display the carton-and-cup image as pupils settle. Take three hands-up guesses at the number of cups, not open call-outs. Don't confirm an answer yet — the point is to get them thinking about big and small amounts before we name the units.

250 ml: model the two rules aloud, jug flat and eye level with the line. Crouch to show the eye-level check. Class say two hundred and fifty millilitres.

500 ml: line climbs to 500, half of a litre. Ask which big number the marks are heading towards, pause before revealing next jug.

750 ml: line at 750. Point at the room left, not just the number, only 250 ml to full.

1 litre: the key one. Full to the top, 1 litre = 1,000 ml. Class say it back.

This round is for talking it through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

Call a pupil to the board to drag the single jug's liquid level to each named amount in turn (100, then 300, then 600, then 950), then read it aloud. The rest of the class calls the reading first, then the pupil confirms. There is one explore jug, dragged to each amount — not four separate diagrams.

• 100 ml — a low reading; check the pupil starts counting from zero at the bottom.
• 300 ml — sits just above the 250 major mark; count one 50 ml minor line up.
• 600 ml — start at the 500 mark and count two 50 ml lines up.
• 950 ml — nearly full; the tricky one. Start at 750 and count up. Ask 'how much more to reach a full litre?'

These are the practice questions. Real objects circulate (or sit at stations) and pupils measure each one with their own jug, logging estimate and measured value on the capacity_record_sheet. Three core containers (egg cup, mug, small bottle) keep the smallest-to-largest rhythm realistic; keep the pass-on brisk, and the class confirms each reading aloud at the end.

Before the stretch, teach the pairing skill with one board example. Write: mug 300 ml, bottle 700 ml. Method: (1) measure each and record with unit, (2) add the two amounts, (3) check against 1,000 ml = 1 litre. Class says the sum: 300 + 700 = 1,000 ml = 1 litre. Note that a total near 1,000 ml (for example 950 ml) still counts as about 1 litre.

Slip to watch: pupils adding without matching units, or guessing a pair without using their measured numbers. Remind them both amounts must be in ml before adding.

Watch for the two reading errors: tilting the jug and reading from above the line. Remind groups to set the jug flat and get eye-level. Fast finishers then try the stretch with their own three measured amounts. If a group has no real jug, gather them at the front measurement jug so they can read a physical jug there.