Standard 1: Compare and measure the length of objects.

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General Information
Number: MA.1.M.1
Title: Compare and measure the length of objects.
Type: Standard
Subject: Mathematics (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 1
Strand: Measurement

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

MA.1.M.1.AP.1a
Use a ruler to measure the length of an object with exact whole units to the nearest inch.
MA.1.M.1.AP.1b
Explore familiar objects that can be used to develop a mental measurement benchmark to understand the relative size of an inch.
MA.1.M.1.AP.2
Compare and order the length of up to three objects using direct comparison.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Formative Assessments

What Do These Marks Mean?:

Students are asked to explain what the marks on a ruler represent and how to use a ruler to measure length.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measuring Michael’s Toy Car - 2:

Students are asked to consider the zero point (origin) and end point when measuring the length of objects to the nearest inch.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measuring Michael’s Toy Car - 1:

Students are asked to explain a method for measuring length and to identify an appropriate tool.

Type: Formative Assessment

What’s The Length of the Third Set?:

Students compare the lengths of two cube trains indirectly by using a third cube train.

Type: Formative Assessment

The Missing Pencil:

Students are asked to indirectly compare the lengths of three pencils based on the known lengths of two of the pencils.

Type: Formative Assessment

Longest to Shortest Cubes:

Students put three trains (sets of joined cubes) in order from longest to shortest.

Type: Formative Assessment

Line Lengths:

Students are asked determine which line is longer using cubes, string, a pencil, a ruler, or another measuring strategy.

Type: Formative Assessment

Comparing Widths and Heights of Books:

Students are asked to place three books in order from least to greatest bottom edge length and least to greatest side edge length.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

Tell Me About Your Stuffed Animal (Lesson 1):

While working in groups and incorporating the importance of following rules, students will use stuffed animals to describe and compare attributes such as length, volume, or weight in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Inch by Inch:

In this lesson students will be able to recognize the ruler as a tool to measure length and understand the use of the beginning and end points when measuring the length of an object. Students will need to measure Bubble Tape gum so that everyone is able to have a piece.

Type: Lesson Plan

Measuring with Inches:

In this engaging introductory lesson to measuring length with a ruler, students will learn that a ruler is a tool to measure length in the standard unit of inches. Students will be moving around the room to measure the length of classroom objects with an inch ruler.

Type: Lesson Plan

Measuring Mania:

This lesson teaches students a unit of measure and the relationship between the size of an inch, a foot, and a yard. It also allows students to determine which unit of measurement is the most efficient for finding the measurement of an object and estimate objects’ lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

Thrice is Nice?:

In this lesson, students will directly compare and order the length of three flowers and discuss the comparisons using comparison language.

Type: Lesson Plan

Might We Measure This?:

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

Type: Lesson Plan

Inching Along:

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

What is in the Size of a Foot?:

This lesson will allow students to compare and order the length of objects by using an item close to them... their feet! They will explore the length of their feet compared to the lengths of the feet of others in their groups. Students will then make statements to describe the comparison of the length of their feet, and other objects, using comparison language such as shorter, shortest, longer, and longest.

Type: Lesson Plan

How Does Your Garden Grow?:

In this lesson, students will help create an interactive bulletin board by measuring the height of a paper flower using connecting cubes and then directly comparing the height of their flower to the height of two others. Then students will "plant" their flowers in flowerpots on the bulletin board in order from shortest to tallest, so that other class gardeners will have the chance to see how they “grow”!

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

Zoo School:

Explore the zoo and learn how to order and compare objects by length and height in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Original Student Tutorial

Zoo School:

Explore the zoo and learn how to order and compare objects by length and height in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this topic.