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Compare and order the length of up to three objects using direct and indirect comparison.
Clarifications
Clarification 1: When directly comparing objects, the objects can be placed side by side or they can be separately measured in the same units and the measurements can be compared.Clarification 2: Two objects can be compared indirectly by directly comparing them to a third object.
General Information
Subject Area: Mathematics (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 1
Strand: Measurement
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved
Benchmark Instructional Guide
Connecting Benchmarks/Horizontal Alignment
Terms from the K-12 Glossary
- NA
Vertical Alignment
Previous Benchmarks
Next Benchmarks
Purpose and Instructional Strategies
The purpose of this benchmark is to have students explore transitivity. Transitivity is a relation between three elements. For example, if object A is longer than object B and object B is longer than object C, then object A must be longer that C as well. In Kindergarten, students directly compared two objects with a common attribute. When directly comparing the length of the two objects, students use terms such as shorter, longer, taller and higher to describe the objects (MTR.1.1, MTR.5.1).
Common Misconceptions or Errors
- Some students may try to use a ruler to measure a length when reasoning alone would be sufficient to make an indirect comparison. In these cases, remind students that they can use reasoning rather than an actual measurement.
- Students may mix units when measuring objects (where one item is measured in inches and another is measured in centimeters).
Strategies to Support Tiered Instruction
- Instruction provides opportunities to reason using direct and indirect comparison. Tasks are presented as real world, inquiry-based, and involve situations in which a standard measurement tool is not provided to be able to solve the problem.
- For example, the teacher presents a task such as:
- Students are provided with several pieces of construction paper “roads” with various sized tears to be the “cracks.” Across the room, place 3 different sized strips of paper to serve as the “repair shop.” Guide students to use indirect measurement such as comparing their hand to the size of the “crack” and then get a strip of paper that is equal to their comparison. If the strip is too long or too short, they will return to the “repair shop” to get the right size.
- Teacher provides instruction to discuss key differences between centimeters and inches and write or draw about those differences to use as a reference during instruction.
- For example, a t-chart can be used to organize comparisons about inches and centimeters. Students can use sticky notes to draw pictures, write words or sentences about inches and centimeters.
Instructional Tasks
Instructional Task 1 (MTR.4.1)
Adeline, Eli and Sarai are comparing their pieces of yarn. Adeline says her piece of yarn is the same length as Sarai’s piece of yarn. Eli says his piece of yarn is longer than Sarai’s piece of yarn. Draw what Adeline, Eli and Sarai’s yarn pieces could look like. Make sure to label each child’s yarn. With a partner, discuss how your drawings are similar and different. Do you or your partner need to make changes to your work?
Instructional Task 2 (MTR.6.1)
Around your classroom look for an object that could fit in the box below. Then complete the task by following the directions below.
Instructional Items
Instructional Item 1
Jamal needs to write a true statement about his towers shown here. Which statement below is true?
- The red tower is the tallest tower.
- The yellow tower is the shortest tower.
- The blue tower is taller than the red tower.
- The red tower is shorter than the yellow tower.
Instructional Item 2
Look at the rectangles below. Color the longest rectangle blue. Color the shortest rectangle red. Write two sentences to describe your rectangles.
Instructional Item 3
Look at the cube train below.
- Part A. Use a blue crayon to draw something longer than the cube train.
- Part B. Use a red crayon to draw something shorter than the cube train.
- Part C. Use a yellow crayon to draw something that is equal in length to the cube train.
- Part D. Write a true statement about the blue and red drawings.
*The strategies, tasks and items included in the B1G-M are examples and should not be considered comprehensive.
Related Courses
This benchmark is part of these courses.
5012030: Grade One Mathematics (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
7712020: Access Mathematics Grade 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012005: Foundational Skills in Mathematics K-2 (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
Related Access Points
Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
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 benchmark.
Formative Assessments
Lesson Plans
Original Student Tutorial
MFAS Formative Assessments
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.
Line Lengths:
Students are asked determine which line is longer using cubes, string, a pencil, a ruler, or another measuring strategy.
Longest to Shortest Cubes:
Students put three trains (sets of joined cubes) in order from longest to shortest.
The Missing Pencil:
Students are asked to indirectly compare the lengths of three pencils based on the known lengths of two of the pencils.
What’s The Length of the Third Set?:
Students compare the lengths of two cube trains indirectly by using a third cube train.
Original Student Tutorials Mathematics - Grades K-5
Zoo School:
Explore the zoo and learn how to order and compare objects by length and height in this interactive tutorial.
Student Resources
Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.
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 benchmark.
