Measurement - Tools 4 NC Teachers
Additional Measurement Activities
*This document includes a compilation of measurement activities. Some of the activities include customary units (taught in third grade) as well as additional metric units that are not a requirement of fourth grade. You can use the lessons as is or adapt to only include the required metric units.
On the Mark: Metric Benchmarks
Purpose:
Students will find benchmarks for linear units in the metric system.
Materials:
• linear measurement tools such as rulers, meter sticks, tape measures
• dimes, centimeter cubes, ten rods, string
• copies of Measurement Benchmark Recording Sheet 2
• poster paper
• markers
Activity:
1. Review the metric units of length (millimeter, centimeter, decimeter, meter, kilometer).
2. Review the importance of using measurement benchmarks.
3. Have students explore their bodies to find personal benchmarks in the
metric system. Assign each student a partner. (Partners of the same gender may be best for this activity.) Instruct each pair to use a tape measure to measure different parts of their body to find useful benchmarks. Students may measure their foot, stride, hand span, width of their finger, arm span—finger to finger and finger to nose, height—to waist, to shoulder, and to head, distance around their wrist, around their waist. Have students share some of the measurements. Ask: Were any of your measurements close to a millimeter?, a centimeter?, a decimeter?, a meter?
4. Have students explore the room to find other useful benchmarks. Have
them use the thickness of a dime for a millimeter, a centimeter cube for a centimeter, a ten rod for a decimeter, and a piece of string measuring one meter to find objects exactly a millimeter, a centimeter, a decimeter, and a meter. Ask students to record their benchmarks on the benchmark recording sheet.
5. After giving students 10 to 15 minutes to measure items around the
room, lead a class discussion in which students share their findings. Record the benchmarks on a large sheet of poster paper. This poster should be displayed in the room for students to refer to as they continue measurement activities.
6. Once students have formed their personal benchmarks, have them
locate and list 5 items around the room. First, instruct students to estimate the items based on one unit of measure. Have them use their benchmarks to decide if the object is longer or shorter. Have them to measure each item to discover how close it is to their benchmark and unit of measure.
Teacher Advisory: Unit familiarity should be the principle focus of almost all instruction with standard units…. Van De Walle
Measurement Benchmarks
Recording Sheet 2: Metric
|Measurements |Benchmarks |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Millimeter | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Centimeter | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Decimeter | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Meter | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Kilometer | | | | |
| | | | | |
Measuring Madness
Purpose:
Students will practice measuring in millimeters and centimeters.
Students will learn to measure accurately and precisely with a metric ruler.
Materials:
• copies of Measuring Madness handout (one for each pair of students)
• dice (one for each pair of students)
• colored pencils or markers (one per student)
• metric rulers (one per student)
Activity:
1. Divide students into pairs. Give each pair one copy of the Measuring
Madness handout, two different colored pencils, and one die.
2. As a class, decide what measurements each number on the die will
represent. Complete the key at the bottom of the page (For example, 1 = 1 centimeter, 2 = 2 centimeters, etc).
3. Begin by having each pair roll the die to determine which player begins
the game. The higher roll goes first.
4. To play the game, students will take turns rolling the die. The number on the die will determine how many spaces/units the student will travel.
a. Player 1 rolls the die. Using the chart, Player 1 will begin at the starting line and measure the distance for his roll heading toward the first shape. The player then colors the distance using one colored pencil.
b. Player 2 then takes a turn using a different color.
c. The first player to reach the last shape is the winner.
5. As students play the game, monitor students to see if they are using a ruler and measuring the distances accurately.
Extensions/Modifications:
• Change the chart or encourage students to modify the chart to make the game more difficult.
• Make copies of the game on cardstock. Laminate and have students to use different colored Vis-à-vis pens.
• A variation (Race to Win!) is included as an additional practice game or a replacement for the same game board used in Measuring Madness. Play in partners. Game is similar except each student has their own side of the track, and they can play three games on one sheet.
Measuring Madness
[pic]
Start 1
2
3
5 4
|Number on Die |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |
|Number of mm/cm | | | | | | |
6
Race to Win!
Start Start Start
| | |
| | |
| | |
Finish Finish Finish
Race 1 Race 2 Race 3
1 = 5 mm 1 = 0 1 = 25 mm
2 = 15 mm 2 = 1 cm 2 = 2 cm
3 = 25 mm 3 = 3 cm 3 = 0
4 = 35 mm 4 = 15 mm 4 = 10 mm
5 = 45 mm 5 = 25 mm 5 = 4 cm
6 = 0 6 = 5 cm 6 = 50 mm
Target Practice:
Metric Linear Measurements
Purpose:
Students will be able to accurately estimate metric units for linear
measurement using their personal benchmarks.
Materials:
• Handout – Pre-made and blank one provided for teacher preference
• Rulers/measuring tools
• Objects to measure
Activity:
1. Pass out handouts and objects to measure to the class. Students can work in pairs or groups for this activity. The students use their benchmarks to estimate the measurements of the objects listed in their chart. Estimations can be in mm, cm, or meters, or a combination of any of the afore-mentioned units. The goal is to be as close to the actual measurement as possible.
2. Pass out the measurement tools needed for this activity. Students measure their objects and calculate their error totals for the sheet. Have the error totals calculated to the nearest cm (even if students measured in meters or cm).
Teacher will want to remind students that this activity is very similar to a previous one; they will be estimating and measuring in metric units though.
*Stress to the students that this activity is NOT a contest. The object is to learn how to become more adept at estimating using our benchmarks. They will need to know our class will have ample opportunities to improve by completing similar target activities throughout the year and their estimates should improve over time. We do not expect them to be perfect at first.
3. Discuss which objects were more difficult to “hit the target” and which were easier. Why? Discuss strategies and benchmarks that were more accurate than others.
4. At some point each day for the next several weeks, the teacher needs to point to, hold up, or show an object to let the students estimate its length and then have someone measure it to allow students time to practice using their benchmarks. This should take no more than 5 minutes.
Teacher Advisory: Estimation in measurement helps students focus on the attribute being measured and develops familiarity with the units. Strategies for estimation may need to be taught to your students. Recommended strategies are included.
Estimation Strategies:
1. Use of benchmarks: Students may need to be shown how to use their benchmark to estimate. You may also want to consider using multiple units instead of single units for benchmarks. Example: benchmarks for 6 inches, 10 centimeters, etc.
2. Chunking: Use a chunking procedure when appropriate. It may be easier to estimate shorter chunks for the length of the wall than to estimate the entire wall length.
3. Subdivisions: Subdivide the length of the wall to be measured into equal parts. Example: divide it in half, then into fourths, and into eighths, and so on to get more manageable lengths to estimate. Students need to be taught how to do this. Subdividing is similar to chunking but the chunks are now imposed on the object rather than being part of the object naturally.
4. Iterate Units: Iterate (repeat) a unit mentally or physically. It is helpful to use body measures for linear measurement situations. For example, if you know your hand is about six inches long, determine the number of hand lengths an object is and then multiple by six to get an estimate.
5. Use Ranges for Estimates: Allow students to use ranges for estimates that they believe include the actual measurement.
Remember that students need to taught these estimation strategies and given ample time to practice using them.
Target Practice:
Metric Linear Measurements
________________________________________________
Names of Students in Group:
|Name of Object: |Estimated Length: |Actual Length: |Difference: |
| |(millimeters, centimeters, meters) |(millimeters, centimeters, meters) |(Subtract actual from |
| | | |estimated) |
|Diameter of a Dime | | | |
|Post-It Note Length | | | |
|Pen Length | | | |
|Thickness of Science Textbook | | | |
|Scissor Length | | | |
|Belt Width | | | |
|Belt Length | | | |
|Student Desk Height | | | |
|Door Width | | | |
|Distance from Teacher Desk to Pencil | | | |
|Sharpener | | | |
|Table Width | | | |
|Student Height | | | |
|Distance from Door to Window | | | |
Difference Total:
| |
Target Practice:
Linear Measurements
________________________________________________
Names of Students in Group:
|Name of Object: |Estimated Length: |Actual Length: |Difference: |
| | | |(Subtract actual from |
| | | |estimated) |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Difference Total:
| |
Piecing It All Together:
Measurement Collages
Purpose:
Students will review the linear units in both the customary and metric systems.
Materials:
• large sheets of construction paper
• markers
• magazines
• glue
Activity:
1. Divide students into groups of 4 to 5 students. Give each group one
sheet of large construction paper, glue, markers, and an assortment of magazines. Have each group fold their paper into four sections. Instruct students to label the top of each section with a different linear unit within the customary or metric system.
This lesson may be used to review customary or metric units of length, depending on your focus. Choose and assign students the labels/units you would like for them to focus on.
| millimeter - mm | centimeter - cm |
| | |
| decimeter - dm | meter – m |
| | |
2. Have each group of students to sort through the magazines and find
pictures of objects that could be measured using linear units. Instruct students to cut out each picture and glue it into the appropriate category.
3. As each group is creating their collage, monitor students to ensure they are choosing appropriate pictures. Ask students to explain why they chose pictures for each category.
4. After giving students 15-25 minutes to complete their measurement collage, have each group present their collage to the class and share some of their favorite pictures. Encourage students to make observations about the items within each category. Ask: What do you notice about all of the pictures in the millimeter section?
*This activity could also be used to review mass and capacity units. Change the units according to your objective.
Linear Scavenger Hunt
Purpose:
Students will develop fluency with linear units in both the metric and customary systems.
Materials:
• linear measurement tools such as rulers, yard/meter sticks, and tape measures
• copies of Linear Scavenger Hunt handout
Activity:
1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 4 students. Give each group a copy
of the Linear Scavenger Hunt handout as well as a variety of linear measurement tools.
2. Encourage each group of students to explore the room, the school, or
even the playground to find items that would best match each measurement on the Scavenger Hunt.
3. Instruct students to write a description as well as the precise
measurement of the item they found.
4. After giving students 15 to 20 minutes to explore, have students share
their findings with the class.
Modification: Some students may need more than 20 minutes to complete
the exploration portion of this activity. Consider allowing more time or
dividing the class in half and assigning half of the items to one group and the half to the other group.
Linear Scavenger Hunt
| | | |Difference Between Size and |
| | |Actual Measure of Item |Actual Measure |
|Size |Description | | |
|of Item |of Item | | |
| | | | |
|1 in | | | |
| | | | |
|5 ft | | | |
| | | | |
|1 m | | | |
| | | | |
|10 cm | | | |
| | | | |
|2 yd | | | |
| | | | |
|5 m | | | |
| | | | |
|½ ft | | | |
| | | | |
|30 mm | | | |
| | | | |
|6 in | | | |
| | | | |
|3 ½ yd | | | |
| | | | |
|50 cm | | | |
| | | | |
|1 m | | | |
On the Mark:
Mass Benchmarks
Purpose:
Students will find benchmarks for mass units in both the metric and customary systems.
Materials:
• measurement tools such as balances, scales, gram stackers, weights
• miscellaneous items for benchmarks (ex. box of sugar, coffee can)
• copies of Measurement Benchmark Recording Sheet 3
• poster paper
• markers
Activity:
Before the lesson, place miscellaneous items around the room for students to explore. Set up areas or centers with weights and balance scales.
1. Review the units used to measure mass.
2. Ask students to share the importance of using measurement benchmarks.
3. Have students explore the room to find useful benchmarks for
measuring mass. Encourage students to use the balances and scales to find the mass of items. Ask students to record their benchmarks on the benchmark recording sheet.
4. After giving students 10 to 15 minutes to find the mass of items around the
room, lead a class discussion in which students share their findings. Record the benchmarks on a large sheet of poster paper. This poster should be displayed in the room for students to refer to as they continue measurement activities.
5. Once students have formed their personal benchmarks, have them
locate and list 5 items around the room. First, instruct students to estimate the items based on one unit of measure. Have them use their benchmarks to decide if the object is lighter or heavier. Have them find the mass of each item to discover how close it is to their benchmark and the unit of measure.
6. For homework, have students explore items at home to find useful benchmarks. They may want to explore their kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, or even the pantry. Encourage students to bring in one sample item to class the next day that could be used as a benchmark.
Teacher Advisory: Mass and weight are commonly confused and used interchangeably. Weight is the measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object. A spring scale measures weight. Mass is the amount of material in an object. A balance scale measures mass.
Measurement Benchmarks
Recording Sheet: MASS
|Measurements |Benchmarks |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Gram | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|Kilogram | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
The Price Is Right
Purpose:
Students will compare metric and customary units of measure.
Materials:
• Balance scales
• Gram and kilogram units
• Various food products (cans, boxes, bags, etc from teacher’s or student’s kitchen cabinets)
• Signs: 0 grams, 500 grams, 1000 grams
• Ziploc baggies (gallon size)
Activity:
1. Teacher chooses 5 products with a large mass range and lines them up in the front of the room. Make sure the mass on the labels of these 5 products are blacked out. Ask the students to write down the order (lightest to heaviest) on a sheet of paper. Call a student to line the objects according to his order. Tell the class the number of items the students have placed correctly. Give the students a chance to change their guesses on paper. Ask a student to make changes to the line of products. Tell the number of products that are placed correctly. Allow students an opportunity to change their guess on paper. Continue until all of the products are in the correct place. Lead a discussion on the difficulty students had with this activity. Allow students to share strategies that helped them to discover the order.
2. Post the signs on the wall to make a number line across the front of the room. Pass out a product to all students. Do NOT black out labels on these products. Ask the students to place themselves in the line by the mass of their package. Allow students to discuss with each other where to place themselves in line, but tell them in case of a tie (products with equal mass) those students should be in the same place in line – just stand in a line, one in front of the other.
Listen for discussion points to bring out during the group discussion. Students may realize that a lot of people are bunched up around 454 grams, which is one pound. If a package only has ounces, some discussion may have to take place in order to help the students get in line according to grams.
3. Go down the line having the students tell the mass of their package. Tell both measurements if they are listed. Help students that are in the wrong place in line get in the correct place. Discuss difficulty with that product’s mass.
4. Do a mass sort with these or other products or items in the classroom. List/show the items and have students sort them (physically or on paper) according to the following criteria:
• < gram, = gram, > gram
• < kilogram, = kilogram, > kilogram
5. Pass out large baggie to each group. Ask them to fill up their baggie with items that equal one kilogram. Check bags to see which group(s) came the closest. Ask some of the following questions:
• Which bag had the most items?
• Which bag had the fewest items?
• Why didn’t we all have the same number of items?
• How many bags were over, under, or exactly equal to one kilogram?
This activity can be repeated with pounds, or any specific number of grams or ounces. It can even be made more challenging by having students try to fill a box with items that equal 10 lbs or 10 kilograms. Hopefully students will take their knowledge of benchmarks into account when filling their bags or boxes. Be sure to bring this out in the group discussion as a good strategy if no one else does.
Discussion Point:
Check to see if students used any estimation strategies to help fill
their bags. Chunking may have helped students make better mass estimations. For example, if they determined that a novel is approximately 100g then 10 of the novels would be a kilogram.
An Apple a Day
Purpose:
Students will practice measuring with grams.
Materials:
• 3 similar sized apples (1 unpeeled, 1 peeled, 1 chopped)
• apple recording sheet or large poster paper
• balances, scales, and gram stackers
Activity: (adapted from AIMS)
This is a week long activity and will need 5 days to complete.
This activity may be done as a whole class or within small groups. Be sure to provide enough apples depending on the size of your group.
1. Show the class three apples—1 unpeeled, 1 peeled, and 1 chopped
into pieces. Have students predict which apple will lose the most water over the next five days.
2. During math class each day have a student volunteer find the mass of
each apple using a balance and gram stackers. Record the mass of each apple on the large poster or the Apple Recording sheet. Beginning on Tuesday, have students calculate the difference of water lost between the two days. Continue measuring and recording for five days.
3. On Friday, the final day, have students calculate the total amount of
water lost from each apple. In addition, have them calculate the average daily amount of water lost by dividing the total amount of water lost by 4.
4. Discuss the results of the activity. Which apple lost the most water?
Why? Did the results agree with your initial predication? Ask how knowing this concept might be helpful in the real world. (For example: hikers carry dehydrated food, astronaut food, etc.)
Optional Approach: If you have access to enough balances and gram stackers in your classroom, have each group of students to complete this activity to allow for more student participation.
Teacher Advisory: Use every opportunity you can to give
students’ opportunities to measure mass. It is easy to get carried away with length and forget about capacity, mass, and angle
measurements. Students need a lot of practice with the units to
gain familiarity with them!
An Apple a Day!
________________
Name:
*I predict the _______________ apple will lose the most water.
|Date: |Unpeeled |Peeled |Chopped |
| |Mass |Difference |Mass (g) |Difference |Mass (g) |Difference |
| |(g) | | | | | |
|Monday | | | | | | |
|Tuesday | | | | | | |
|Wednesday | | | | | | |
|Thursday | | | | | | |
|Friday | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| |Total Loss: | |Total Loss: | |Total Loss: | |
Roll This Weigh
Purpose:
Students will practice estimating and measuring a variety of items in grams.
Materials:
• kick ball, golf ball, marble, tennis ball, ping pong ball, ball of clay
(one set of items for each group of students)
• Roll This Weigh recording sheet or large poster paper
• balance scales and gram stackers
Activity: (adapted from AIMS)
This activity may be done as a whole class or within small groups. Be sure to provide enough materials depending on the size of your group.
1. Divide students into groups of 4 to 5 students. Instruct each group to
look at the 6 items provided (a golf ball, a marble, a kickball, a tennis ball, a ping pong ball, and a ball of clay) and predict which items are heavier. Have students list the items in order from heaviest to lightest on their recording sheet.
2. Next, have students estimate the mass of each item and record their
estimation on the handout.
3. Instruct each group to use the balance scales and gram stackers to
determine the mass of each object. Place the actual mass on the recording sheet or a large poster.
4. Finally, have students compute the error of each guess by finding the
difference between the estimated mass and the actual mass of each object. Calculate the average error for all 6 items.
5. Once students have completed the activity, discuss the results. How
close were your estimates to the actual measurements? Did any of the objects surprise you? Why do you think it was difficult to determine the mass of some of the items?
Extension: Pass around objects for students to estimate their mass throughout the week. Students should become more accurate with their estimations with extended practice. They will need a lot of practice before their estimates are fairly close.
Roll This Weigh
Predict order of items from heaviest to lightest:
1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
5. _________________
6. _________________
|ITEM: |Estimated Mass in grams (g) |Actual Mass in grams (g) |Error |
| | | |(Difference) |
|Kickball | | | |
|Ping Pong Ball | | | |
|Tennis Ball | | | |
|Ball of Clay | | | |
|Marble | | | |
|Golf Ball | | | |
Error:
| |
Target Practice:
Mass Measurements
Purpose:
Students will be able to accurately estimate units for mass
measurements using their personal benchmarks.
Materials:
• Handout – Pre-made and blank one provided for teacher preference
• Balances
• Mass unit bags made in “Balance Comparisons” lesson
• Objects to measure
Activity:
1. Pass out handouts and objects to measure to the class. Students can work in pairs or groups for this activity. The students use their benchmarks to estimate the measurements of the objects listed in their chart. Estimations can be in any unit for the metric or customary system. The goal is to be as close to the actual measurement as possible. Students need to decide which unit is appropriate and will be the most accurate for each object.
2. Pass out the measurement tools needed for this activity. Students find the mass of their objects and calculate their error totals for the sheet. Have the error totals calculated to the nearest gram (in metric) and ounce (in customary).
Teacher will want to remind students that this activity is very similar to previous ones; they will be estimating and measuring mass now.
*Stress to the students that this activity is NOT a contest. The object is to learn how to become more adept at estimating using our benchmarks. They will need to know our class will have ample opportunities to improve by completing similar target activities throughout the year and their estimates should improve over time. We do not expect them to be perfect at first.
3. Discuss which objects were more difficult to “hit the target” and which were easier. Why? Discuss strategies and benchmarks that were more accurate than others.
4. At some point each day for the next several weeks, the teacher needs to point to, hold up, or show an object to let the students estimate its mass and then have someone measure it. This will allow students time to practice using their benchmarks. This should take no more than 5 minutes.
Target Practice:
Mass Measurements
________________________________________________
Names of Students in Group:
|Name of Object: |Estimated Mass: |Actual Mass: |Difference: |
| | | |(Subtract actual from |
| | | |estimated) |
|Unsharpened Pencil | | | |
|10 Unifix Cubes | | | |
|Calculator | | | |
|Stapler | | | |
|25 Pennies | | | |
|Science Book | | | |
|Basketball | | | |
|4 Classroom Dictionaries | | | |
|Bottled Water | | | |
|Brick | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Difference Total:
| |
Target Practice:
Mass Measurements
________________________________________________
Names of Students in Group:
|Name of Object: |Estimated Mass: |Actual Mass: |Difference: |
| | | |(Subtract actual from |
| | | |estimated) |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Difference Total:
| |
Mass Scavenger Hunt
[pic]
Purpose:
Students will develop fluency with units of mass in both the metric and customary systems.
Materials:
• measurement tools such as balance scales, gram stackers, weights
• copies of Mass Scavenger Hunt handout
Activity:
Before the lesson, set up areas or centers with weights and balance scales.
1. Divide students into groups of 3 to 4 students. Give each group a copy
of the Mass Scavenger Hunt handout.
2. Encourage each group of students to explore the room to find items
that would best match each measurement on the Scavenger Hunt.
3. Instruct students to write a description as well as the precise
measurement of the item they found.
4. After giving students 15 to 20 minutes to explore, have students share
their findings with the class. Ask questions to assess student understanding of mass.
Sample questions to ask:
• Which items were heavier than you predicted?
• Which items were lighter than you predicted?
• Which units did you come closet to on your predictions? Why do you think you were better able to predict those units?
• Hold up a couple items from the room that were not measured and get students to write down where they best fit on the chart and why.
• Is it easier for you predict linear or mass measurements more accurately? Why?
Students may find linear measurements easier to estimate because their benchmarks were a part of their body or things they were more familiar with seeing everyday. You may need to revisit the mass benchmarks section to update their benchmarks.
Modification: Some students may need more than 20 minutes to complete
the exploration portion of this activity. Consider allowing more time or
dividing the class in half and assigning half of the items to one group and the half to the other group.
Mass Scavenger Hunt
| | | |Difference Between Size and |
| | |Actual Measure of Item |Actual Measure |
|Size |Description | | |
|of Item |of Item | | |
| | | | |
|1 kg | | | |
| | | | |
|500 g | | | |
| | | | |
|10 oz | | | |
| | | | |
|1 g | | | |
| | | | |
|5 lbs | | | |
| | | | |
|50 g | | | |
| | | | |
|8 oz | | | |
| | | | |
|1 lb | | | |
| | | | |
|3 kg | | | |
| | | | |
|100 g | | | |
| | | | |
|1 oz | | | |
| | | | |
|10 lbs | | | |
Make Your Own Measuring Cup
Purpose:
The students will make metric measuring cups (measuring ml) to use with subsequent measuring lessons.
Materials:
• Clear Solo cups (2 per student)
• Graduated cylinder (ml)
• One ounce cups
• Water in a no-spill pouring container
• Permanent markers
Activity:
1. Pass out the materials for students to make their own measuring cups.
2. Each student needs to mark a cup that measures ounces. Instruct them to
fill the ounce cup with water and pour it in their solo cup. Have them mark and label the line 1 ounce. Continue until they have 8 ounces marked on their cup.
3. Now have each student mark a cup that measures milliliters. Instruct them to fill the graduated cylinder with 50 ml of water and pour it into a different solo cup. Have them mark and label the line 50 milliliters. Continue until they have 250 milliliters marked on their cup.
4. After cups have been made, the students need to practice measuring. Give each group a pitcher of water or take them to where there are multiple sinks. The teacher may need to explain to the group how to pour carefully and to get eye level with the cup for accuracy. This would be an excellent time to teach about the meniscus – the curved upper surface of the water that forms in a glass measuring cup or graduated cylinder. Be sure to use some glass measuring cups as a demonstration so students are familiar with this in the future.
Teacher Advisory:
When measuring liquid volume it is
important to read the graduated cylinder correctly. Your eye should be level with the top of the liquid and you should read the bottom of the meniscus.
On the Mark:
Capacity Benchmarks
Purpose:
Students will find benchmarks for capacity units in the metric system.
Materials:
• capacity measurement tools--measuring cups of various shapes and sizes
• student-made measuring cups
• miscellaneous items for benchmarks (ex. milk cartons, juice containers, water bottles, soda cans, shampoo bottles)
• Water, rice, sand, or other material to measure capacity
• copies of Measurement Benchmark Recording Sheet
• poster paper
• markers
Activity:
Before the lesson, place miscellaneous items around the room for students to explore. Set up areas or centers with measuring cups.
1. Review the units used to measure capacity in the metric system
(milliliter, liter).
2. Ask students to share the importance of using measurement benchmarks.
3. Have students to explore the room to find useful benchmarks for
measuring capacity. Encourage students to use the measuring cups to find the capacity of different items located throughout the room. Students may also be able to identify the container’s capacity by using the label on the outside of the container. Ask students to record their benchmarks on the benchmark recording sheet.
4. After giving students 10 to 15 minutes to measure the items around the
room, lead a class discussion in which students share their findings. Record the benchmarks on a large sheet of poster paper. This poster should be displayed in the room for students to refer to as they continue measurement activities.
5. Once students have formed their personal benchmarks, have them
locate and list 5 items around the room. First, instruct students to estimate the items based on one unit of measure. Have them use their benchmarks to decide if the object would hold more or less liquid. If possible, have them to measure the capacity of each item to discover how close it is to their benchmark and unit of measure.
6. For homework, have students explore items at home to find useful
benchmarks. They may want to explore their kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, or even the pantry. Encourage students to bring in one sample item to class the next day that could be used as a benchmark.
Measurement Benchmarks
Recording Sheet: Capacity
|Measurements |Benchmarks |
| | | | | | |
|Milliliter | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|Liter | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Target Practice:
Metric Capacity
Measurements
Purpose:
Students will be able to accurately estimate units for capacity
measurements using their personal benchmarks.
Materials:
• Handout – Blank for materials teacher may have (vases, glasses, jars, buckets, etc)
• Measuring cups/graduated cylinders
• Student made measuring cups
• Water, rice, sand, or other material to measure capacity
• Containers/objects of various sizes to measure
Activity:
1. Pass out handouts and objects to measure to the class. Students can work in pairs or groups for this activity. The students use their benchmarks to estimate the amount of water each of the objects listed in their chart will hold. Estimations can be any metric unit for volume. The goal is to be as close to the actual measurement as possible. Students need to decide which unit is appropriate and will be the most accurate for each object.
Teacher may need to have examples of each container for each group to hold while estimating.
2. Pass out the measurement cups needed for this activity. Students find the capacity of their objects and calculate their error totals for the sheet. Have the error totals calculated to the nearest ml. Teacher will want to remind students that this activity is very similar to previous ones; they will be estimating and measuring capacity now.
3. Discuss which objects were more difficult to “hit the target” and which were easier. Why? Discuss strategies and benchmarks that were more accurate than others.
4. At some point each day for the next several weeks, the teacher needs to point to, hold up, or show an object to let the students estimate it’s capacity and then have someone measure it to allow students time to practice using their benchmarks. This should take no more than 5 minutes.
Teacher Advisory: Students will only develop fluency with measurement when allowed to use it frequently so it becomes natural to them. Hands-on experience is critical for developing fluency!
Target Practice:
Metric Capacity Measurements
________________________________________________
Names of Students in Group:
|Name of Object: |Estimated Capacity: |Actual Capacity: |Difference: |
| | | |(Subtract actual from |
| | | |estimated) |
| | | | |
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| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Difference Total:
| |
♫ Musical Beakers ♫
Purpose:
Students will measure different amounts of water in beakers and listen for pitch. Students will explore with other amounts and make conjectures about how the amount of water affects pitch. Students will see connections/integration of science and mathematics.
Materials:
• Five identical beakers or glass jars
• Graduated cylinders or student measuring cups (ml)
• Container of water
• Musical Beaker Handout
Activity:
1. Students fill five beakers with water in the following amounts:
50 ml, 100 ml, 150 ml, 200 ml, 250 ml
2. Students complete the handout trying to determine the pitch difference based on the amount of water in the jars. They make conjectures on how &
why the amount of water affects sound.
3. Have students list ways measurement is used in science, other subjects,
and in their daily lives. Students may work as a team or complete this part of
the activity at home. Allow time for discussion the following day, even writing answers on chart paper if possible. The students need to see how measurement is an integral part of their lives.
Follow-up: Students can generate lists when it is important to be accurate when measuring volume (pharmacists measuring prescriptions) and when it is
okay to estimate amounts (shampoo to wash your hair).
♫ Musical Beakers ♫
1. Fill five beakers with water in the following amounts:
50 ml, 100 ml, 150 ml, 200 ml, 250 ml
2. Tap the beakers lightly with a spoon to hear the different pitches in sound. Write a statement that explains how the pitch changes depending on the amount of water in the beaker.
3. Predict whether the following amounts will make a low or high pitch:
* 30 ml ___________
* 1000 ml (1 liter) ___________
(Test your predictions to see if they are correct).
4. List ways measurement is used in science, other subjects, and in the world around you.
Favorite ACC Team
Purpose:
Students measure accurately to the nearest millimeter.
Students make appropriate estimations and comparisons for milliliters.
Materials:
• Mason jars or same-sized glass containers (14)
• The following signs or labels for the jars: Wake, NC State, Duke, Carolina, Florida State, Clemson, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Miami, None and Other
• Graduated Cylinder (increments of 10 ml)
• Water pitcher
• Funnel (optional)
Activity:
1. Students go to the table with the materials for this activity and measure 10 ml of water to pour into the jar for their favorite ACC team. They are only allowed to pour 10 ml into one jar!
2. After all students have voted, the teacher asks students questions about the votes. Possible questions are:
• Which team had the least number of people in our class to vote for it? How many people do you think voted for it?
• Which team had the greatest number of people in our class to vote for it? How many people do you think voted for it?
• Ask students to make comparison statements about the two teams that had the most votes. How many more votes did this team have? Ask for students to raise their hands if they voted for the winning jar. Count. Ask how many milliliters of water should be in the jar. Measure it. Do the same with the all jars. See which team had the most accurate voters to measure out the water.
• If the jar were full, how many milliliters do you think it would hold? Half full? Try it.
• Is 10 ml a large amount of water? Can you think of a situation where 10 ml would be a lot of water? (Students may place the water in perspective to ants or fleas or have other creative suggestions.)
• How many people would have had to vote for Duke to fill 1 liter?
• How would our materials change if we were to measure out 10 ounces for our votes? 10 cups? How do ml compare with ounces?
3. Students need to write a reflection of what they learned about milliliters and describe how a ml is a useful unit of measure.
[pic]Teacher Advisory: Students need to predict the amount of liquid different-sized containers will hold periodically throughout the year. This will only take a few minutes and will give students a chance to practice estimations and comparing units in both the metric and customary systems. Remember that questioning to promote understanding and having students share their strategies for making accurate estimations will help them to improve this skill. Spending some time each week on measurement will help our students develop measurement fluency.
Rotating Review
Purpose:
Students will review the measurement units within both the customary and metric systems.
Materials:
• index cards of various sizes
• tape
• linear measurement tools such as rulers, yard/meter sticks, tape measures
• balance scales and gram stackers
• measuring cups of various shapes and sizes
• miscellaneous items to measure
• notebook paper to record answers
Activity:
1. Gather a variety of objects, containers, and items for students to
measure. These items may be found in your classroom, kitchen, backyard, bathroom, and even your pantry.
2. Create a set of 15 to 30 cards with questions for students to answer or
directions for them to follow. Place each question on an index card and number the cards in order from 1 to 30. Place the index cards, along with the needed materials, in different areas around the room.
Examples:
1. Measure the length of this pen in centimeters.
2. Estimate how many milliliters are in the soda can.
3. How tall is the desk in feet?
4. How tall are you in meters?
5. Measure the mass of the stapler.
6. How many liters of water do you think this bucket will hold?
7. What is the mass of this textbook?
8. How tall is the wall in meters?
9. Measure the length of the quarter in millimeters.
10. Measure the width of the CD in inches.
11. How many cups of water will this milk carton hold?
12. Measure the width of this paperclip in centimeters and millimeters.
13. How long is the board in meters?
14. Estimate the width of the room in feet.
3. Within pairs, have students rotate from card to card and complete the
activity or question. Have them record their answers on a sheet of notebook paper. You can do this activity in one day or over a series of several days.
4. Once students have had a chance to rotate through all of the cards,
discuss students’ answers and measurements.
Mystery Unit Game
1. Choose a type of unit—centimeter and meter and find an object that is appropriate to measure in that unit.
2. Without telling anyone, measure it. Now in groups of 4, tell others in your group the number of units, but NOT the TYPE of unit or the object. (Example” I measured something that was 6 units long.)
3. Try to answer these questions: Who measured the longest object? Who measured the shortest object?
4. Now each member should reveal the unit and answer the questions above.
5. Together, answer the following questions:
1. Did the largest number represent the largest sized object? Would this always be true?
2. If you used the same unit is the comparison easy?
3. How can you compare your objects to determine whose is largest?
4. Would it take more centimeters or meters to measure this room? How do you know?
5. Would you measure a pencil in centimeters or meters? Why?
6. How might decimals help you to measure a pencil with meter stick?
How Long Is an Index Card?
Using an index card provided, start at a bottom corner, cutting a narrow strip up. When you get close to the top, turn and continue cutting across. When you get close to the edge, turn again. Continue until you cannot cut any more. Record actual results in centimeters and meters.
Centimeter Results:
Meters Results:
Wait Just a Minute
1. Work with a partner to guess how long a minute is.
2. The timer says “GO!” and the estimator, without looking at the clock, signals when s/he thinks a minute has passed.
3. Record the difference between 60 seconds and the estimator’s guess. Tell whether you overestimated or underestimated.
4. Try 3 times. Did your estimates get better?
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