Measurement Tools and Techniques
Measurement Tools and Techniques
Objectives
This unit encourages students to estimate measurements of length. Activities provide students with informal experiences using both nonstandard units and standard units of measure. Students also practice the correct use of standard measurement tools. Students will:
- estimate length using benchmark referents.
- use nonstandard units to measure length.
- use standard units to measure length.
- compare objects using descriptions of length.
- choose appropriate units for measuring.
Essential Questions
How precise do measurements and calculations need to be?
In what ways are the mathematical attributes of objects or processes measured, calculated and/or interpreted?
What does it mean to estimate or analyze numerical quantities?
What makes a tool and/or strategy appropriate for a given task?
When is it is appropriate to estimate versus calculate?
Why does “what” we measure influence “how” we measure?
- What makes a tool and/or strategy appropriate for a given task?
- How precise do measurements and calculations need to be?
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.
- http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=414
- http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/math/measurement/ measurement activities to print
- http://www.dr-mikes-math-games-for-kids.com/math-board-games.html
- http://education.com/activity/second-grade/measurement
- http://www.ambleside.cumbria.sch.uk/
- NCTM PreK–2 Navigating through Measurement, 2003, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
- Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy. Henry Holt & Co., 1997.
- How Big Is a Foot? by Rolf Myller. Dell Yearling, 1990.
- http://www.education.com/activity/article/let-it-slide
- http://education.com/activity/article/use_shapes_second/
- http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/meas.cgi Measure It! game
- http://www.education.com/activity/article/metric-and-paths/ activity using centimeters
- http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=4265 Turtle Pond measurement game
- http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/math/measurement/ printable activities
- Me and the Measure of Things by Joan Sweeney, illustrated by Annette Cable. Dell Dragonfly, 2001.
- Length, a Math Counts book, by Henry Arthur Pluckrose. Children’s Press, 1995.
Formative Assessment
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View
Short-Answer Items
Read each question and circle the correct answer.
- Which of the following objects, in real-life size, could you reasonably measure with your hands?
- Which units would be most appropriate for measuring the length of a crayon?
yards feet inches
- Which of these pictures shows the correct way to measure an object using paper clips?
- Which of the following units would be most appropriate for measuring the length of a hallway?
decimeters meters centimeters
- Lexy ran 35 meters. Elise ran 29 meters. How many more meters did Lexy run?
- Morgan drove 18 miles to Matthew’s house to drop off cupcakes. Then she drove 20 more miles to William’s house. How many miles did Morgan drive in total?
- Which picture shows the correct way to measure length using the black ruler?
- This line is 4 units long. Which nonstandard unit could fit 4 times along the length of the line?
dollar bills pennies new pencils
- Which pencil has the shortest length?
- Which of these tools is used to measure length?
- Which of these would be a nonstandard unit if it were used to measure length?
Short-Answer Key:
Read each question and circle the correct answer.
- Which of the following objects, in real-life size, could you reasonably measure with your hands?
- Which units would be most appropriate for measuring the length of a crayon?
- Which of these pictures shows the correct way to measure an object using paper clips?
- Which of the following units would be most appropriate for measuring the length of a hallway?
- Lexy ran 35 meters. Elise ran 29 meters. How many more meters did Lexy run?
Lexy ran 6 more meters.
- Morgan drove 18 miles to Matthew’s house to drop off cupcakes. Then she drove 20 more miles to William’s house. How many miles did Morgan drive in total?
Morgan drove 38 miles.
- Which picture shows the correct way to measure length using the black ruler?
- This line is 4 units long. Which nonstandard unit could fit 4 times along the length of the line?
- Which pencil has the shortest length?
- Which of these tools is used to measure length?
- Which of these would be a nonstandard unit if it were used to measure length?
Performance Assessment:
Materials:
- two paperback books from the classroom library, each a slightly different size, labeled “book A” and “book B”
- inch rulers
- small sticky notes
- large paper clips
- copies of the Performance Assessment recording page (M-2-7_Performance Assessment Recording Page.docx)
Students will estimate, then measure, the length of two books and compare the results.
Give each student a recording page (M-2-7_Performance Assessment Recording Page.docx), a pencil, and the two classroom books. Ask the student to estimate the length of the books both in paper clips and in inches, and record the estimates on his/her recording page. Then provide an inch ruler and a supply of paper clips and ask the student to find the actual measurements.
Read the questions and ask students to record which book is larger. How much larger? How do you know?
Use the Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric to evaluate each student’s work. Ask the student to
- explain his/her work and how s/he got the results.
- tell you which book has the greater length and why.
- tell you how much larger is the bigger book and how s/he knows.
Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric:
Points
Description
4
- Measurements are accurate for length, and solutions to the comparison problems are accurate.
- Explanations are thorough and use unit vocabulary.
- Student displays thorough and accurate understanding of the questions, mathematical concepts, and processes.
- Student performs beyond the problem requirements and possibly incorporates multiple methods/solutions.
- Recording page is completed accurately; estimates are reasonable.
3
- Measurements are accurate for length, and solutions to the comparison problem are accurate.
- Explanations are thorough and clear.
- Student displays accurate understanding of the questions, mathematical concepts, and processes.
- Student meets all problem requirements.
- Recording page is completed accurately.
2
- Measurements are not exact for length. Solution to comparison problem has minor errors.
- Explanations are lacking some detail.
- Student displays partial understanding of the questions, mathematical concepts, and processes.
- Student meets most of the problem requirements.
- Recording page has a few mistakes.
1
- Measurements are inaccurate for length and comparison problem.
- Explanations are incomplete and lack detail.
- Student displays little understanding of the questions, mathematical concepts, and processes.
- Student does not meet a majority of the requirements of the problem.
- Recording page is not completed accurately.
0
- Measurements and/or comparison problem are not attempted.
- Explanations are illogical or not present.
- Student displays no understanding of the questions, mathematical concepts, and processes.
- Student does not meet the requirements of the problem.
- Recording page is incomplete.
Final 3/28/14
