Cluster 1: Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. (Major Cluster)Archived

The students will be presented with two shapes and must estimate how many times the smaller will fit in the larger. They will be surprised at some of the results but will quickly learn and make adjustments.

Type: Educational Game

Students are asked to estimate a predetermined length in yards.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students use a ruler or yardstick to measure a length to the nearest foot.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students measure the length of a line segment twice and are given an opportunity to explain why the line segment measures in fewer meters than centimeters.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students measure the length of a line twice and are given an opportunity to explain why the line measures in fewer feet than inches.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to determine how many inches longer one line segment is than another.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students shown images of a grasshopper and a dragonfly and are asked to determine how much longer one is than the other.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students measure the length of a line segment twice, once using inches and again using centimeters, and are asked to explain why the two measures are different.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given the length of an alligator in both feet and yards and are asked to explain why the measure given in feet is greater than the measure given in yards.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are shown the paths that two different ants took and are asked to determine how much longer one path is than the other.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are shown a zigzag figure and are asked to determine how much longer the longest segment is than the shortest.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students use a ruler and piece of string to measure the length of a curve.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students use a ruler to measure one segment to the nearest inch and one segment to the nearest centimeter.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to estimate the length of a table in feet.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to estimate a predetermined length in meters.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to estimate the length of a line segment in centimeters.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to estimate the length of a piece of paper in inches.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students choose an appropriate tool to measure a hallway.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students use a ruler to measure a 17 inch segment to the nearest inch.

Type: Formative Assessment

In this lesson students will be exploring the force of wind and its affect on objects. Students will use the engineering design process to sketch, build, and assess how their structure withstands different forces of wind. 

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a Project-Based Learning Project, intended for second grade. It can be adapted and changed for other grades.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will measure the lengths of two objects to the nearest inch and determine the difference in the objects' lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is a culminating activity for the end of a unit on measurement. Students focus on selecting tools for measuring various objects, justifying why they picked a certain tool.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will create line plots based on linear measurements that they collect while participating in the practice of scientific inquiry.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is designed to help students estimate lengths using standard and metric units of measure. They will participate in a teacher-guided activity, estimating then measuring how far a ball rolls on 3 different surfaces. They will also estimate then measure about 10 items that are found around the classroom. While they are estimating and measuring, they have to decide what unit of measure is best suited for the specific object.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is designed for students who already have a basic understanding of how to measure using rulers, yardsticks, or meter sticks. Students will first use given measurements of buildings to determine the difference between two objects’ lengths. Then, students will use their own measurement data to determine the difference between objects’ lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is designed to teach students how to use rulers to measure centimeters. They will also learn how to use a meter stick to measure centimeters and multiple meters at once. Additionally, they will be able to decide whether they should use meters or centimeters when measuring an object, based on it's overall size, and explain their decision.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson uses a discovery approach to estimate the length of objects using inches, feet, meters and centimeters. The students will utilize math standard(s) as they analyze math solutions and explain their solutions. Since this lesson uses estimation, it is a good lesson to use to gain knowledge of how realistic students are with units of measurements.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use a ruler to measure. Students will measure footprints to try to find the real “foot-sized-foot”.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson consists of a fun inquiry-based activity that guides children to understand how to estimate lengths using inches, feet, centimeters, and meters! It can be used towards the end of a unit on measurements due to the fact that they must have knowledge on all four units.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson will require students to measure with nonstandard units and then compare the measurements to the standard measurement unit (inches). This activity will lead students to the conclusion that by using standard units they can create a universal understanding of length.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson uses a discovery approach to exploring the meaning of measurement using two different units. The students will utilize math standard(s) as they analyze math solutions and explain their solutions. Since the lesson uses different units of measurement, it is a good lesson to use to check student understanding of different units of measurement prior to using the units of measure.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson provides students with a hands - on opportunity to estimate and measure real - world objects. The students will be using various units of measure.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of force from SC.2.P.13.1 (investigate the effect of applying various pushes and pulls on different objects) and the concept of wind from SC.2.E.7.4 (investigate that air is all around us and that moving air is wind) as they build structures to withstand the force of high-speed winds. It is not intended as an initial introduction to these concepts.

Type: Lesson Plan

This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of force from SC.2.P.13.1 (investigate the effect of applying various pushes and pulls on different objects) as they build bridges to hold the greatest load. It is also intended to help students apply the concepts of money from MAFS.2.MD.3.8 (Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately) as they strive to construct the most cost effective bridge. It is not intended as an initial introduction to these concepts.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a hands-on lesson that allows students to practice measuring different lengths of objects and writing equations to determine the difference between their lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

Demonstrate the basic measures of length, width, height, weight, and temperature by measuring objects and recording the information.

• Demonstrate how time is measured by recording it to the nearest minute.
• Count money using coins and bills.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a lesson designed to help students gain a better understanding of how different units of measurement (inches to feet) change in relationship to the size of the object. Students will get hands-on practice measuring objects using at least two different tools (inch/centimeter ruler, yardstick, meter stick, tape measure).

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will measure the length of given objects using various measuring tools. The students will record their measurements using different units including inches, feet, and yards to the nearest whole unit. Students will also estimate and measure the lengths of objects, then compare their estimations to their measurements to find the difference.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of units of measurement to estimate the length of objects in centimeters and inches. They will have the opportunity to problem solve since rulers will not be allowed! Students can engage in communication and cooperative learning by sharing strategies, comparing answers and defending their work. This is a good lesson to use after students have been introduced to measuring and units of measurement.

Type: Lesson Plan

A 6 foot bug? No way! Learn how to estimate length using inches, feet and yards by using objects around you in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is a professional development session from the Learning Math series from Annenberg. Learners will begin to explore the questions "What can be measured?" and "What does it mean to measure something?" Learners identify measurable properties of objects such as weight, surface area, and volume, and discuss which metric units are appropriate for measuring these properties. Learners will also learn that measurement is, by its nature, approximate. Finally, learners will consider how to make measurements using nonstandard units. This session features a number of problems for learners to solve and open-ended questions to discuss, videos that demonstrate measurement techniques, and an interactive activity that asks learners to construct shapes using different size triangles to foster understanding of area and perimeter. There are also nine homework problems in which learners are asked to generate different measurements, graph measurements, and evaluate the appropriateness of the measurements generated using a data chart. Many of the professional development activities can be used directly in the classroom.

Type: Professional Development

In this activity, students gain an understanding of sharks' rough, textured skin through artwork. They demonstrate knowledge of a shark's ecosystem. Students will also have the opportunity to measure/estimate different sharks using objects and rulers.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this activity, given various tools for measurement, students will be able to measure length. They will compare various units of measurement.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this activity, students will create life size chalk drawings of J.J. the gray whale to discover the size and growth rate of juvenile gray whales.

Type: Teaching Idea