• list reasons for using standard measurement units.

• measure accurately using inches.

Per class

• Spring by the Yard  (View)

Per student team/group of 3

• Large piece of bulletin board paper

Per Student

• Pencil

• Ruler

• 38 inches in length of adding machine tape

• Crayons

• Scissors

Not Specified

• Indicators  (View)

• inch - Unit of measurement
• ruler - Tool used to measure length
• scale - Standard unit of measurement
• yard - 36 inches in length

Set-up Directions:
Take a large roll of paper and cut into sections big enough for students to lie on.  Students will also need pencils to mark their measurements.  Set up the student teams such that 1 of the members has much smaller feet than the others and another is much taller than the other two.  Give each team member the following roles - measuring apprentice (the smallest-footed person, who uses his feet to measure the paper to make the bed), master carpenter (who measures the customer and tells the apprentice the measurements), and the customer (the tallest member of the group, who comes in to be fitted for a bed just his size).  Write the student teams on chart paper listing their role. Secure a copy of How Big is a Foot? which is to be read to the class.

 

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Ask students what can be used to measure an object. List their responses on chart paper. (Some responses could be cubes, clips, rulers, etc.) Discuss what might happen if one person would use cubes while another person used clips to measure the same object. Tell students that they are going to work in teams today to measure a bed for a customer and that they are going to use their feet as their measuring device.

 

Activity 1 - Will You Fit in Your Bed?
Read aloud the first 12 pages of the story, How Big is a Foot?. Stop reading the story and tell the students that they will make a bed for a customer just like the apprentice in the story did. Ask students if they think they will have any problems. Discuss concerns about using different scales for measuring. Post the groups and their roles.

Students break into their teams. The Master Carpenter measures the customer with his feet and tells the apprentice the measurements. The apprentice then goes to the paper and measures the paper for a bed with his own feet. The students should mark their measurements with a pencil. After the bed has been made, the customer tries it out. Call all of the student teams back together to report on their bed making skills. Beds can be labeled, too short, too long, and just right. As a class, discuss why the some beds fit the customer, while others did not.

Finish reading How Big is a Foot?. Review with the students that the measurements for the beds did not work because each group had a different tool, or foot, for measuring.

 

Activity 2 - Math Journals

Using student math journals, students write about their experience measuring a bed for the customer. Students should tell whether or not their bed fit the customer and why. Students could include a better way to measure the customer for the next bed they make. Share student responses.

Wrap Up:
The teacher should lead a class discussion that answers the class challenge question.

 

Set-up Directions:

Secure a copy of Inch By Inch by Leo Lionni to read to the class. Have enough rulers for each student to have their own.  Prior to class, cut adding machine tape into 38-inch long strips for each student.  The teacher will need a copy of the Spring by a Yard worksheet. Have crayons, pencils, and scissors readily available for student use.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

Review the concept of a standard measurement and what happens when the same unit of measurement is not used by everyone. Tell students that they will listen to a story that shows the same unit being used even though the inchworm is measuring different objects.

Activity 1 - Inch by Inch
Pass out rulers to the students.  Read aloud Inch by Inch.  While reading the story, have students find the different lengths on their rulers.  After the story, ask the students, what unit of measurement did the inchworm use?  Tell students that they will use the same unit of measurement as the inchworm to create a banner for spring.

 

Activity 2 - Spring by the Yard
Pass out adding machine lengths.  Model for students how to measure and draw the line across the adding machine tape.  Follow the directions, putting in the symbols or words as directed.  If students measured carefully, there should be 2 inches extra they can cut off.  Ask students if they know how many inches make a foot?  Tell students that their ruler shows how many inches it takes to make a foot. Ask students if they know how many inches make a yard.  Tell students that 3 rulers are the same as 1 yard.  Have 3 students put their rulers together.  Ask students if they can figure out how many inches there are in all. Show students a yardstick.  Tell them that 36 inches is a yard.

 

Wrap Up:
Have students bring up their banner to check their measurements against the yard stick. Have each student judge their own measurements using the terms, just right, too short and too long. The teacher will lead a discussion that answers the class challenge question posed at the beginning of these lessons.