Measuring With Non-Standard Units

Procedure

Objectives         

1.0 - Students demonstrate their understanding of measurement by manually executing the measurement process for a given fish using color tiles as a non-standard unit of measurement.
2.0 - Students physically write their answer and provide a complete sentence for their reasoning.

Activate and Assess Prior Knowledge

  • Before this LE, the students completed a Pre-Assessment, Appendix D, that consisted of various length lines that the students measured with color tiles.
  • While the whole class is gathered on the rug I ask the students to think about the processes and strategies that were used to measure the lines.
  • Using chart paper, the teacher writes out important strategies to remember while measuring.

Anticipatory Set

  • As the lesson continues on the rug, I ask the student why it is important to have strategies for measuring and why we have to be accurate with our measurements.
  • After volunteers have shared their thoughts, I explain my reasoning by verbally demonstrating my cognitive thinking process in order for the students to relate the importance to real world reasoning so the students are able to make a connection to their everyday lives.
  •  The real world connection that I use to explain the importance of accurate measurement was buying a new mirror for my bathroom. I go on to explain to the students that I need to measure the location where the mirror will go on the wall. Then, I have to go to the store with my measurement. Next, I have to choose a mirror based on the measurement that I took at home. The measurement that I brought from home is very important because I choose my new, very expensive mirror based on what I wrote down. If my measurement was inaccurate, when the mirror arrives at my house and I try to install it, the mirror will not fit correctly. Then there is a long process of returning the mirror, and there is no mirror to use for another few days.

Model/ Demonstration

  • I reveal the fish that the students are asked to measure with color tiles on the overhead, Appendix G. 
  • At this point, I hide the important list of strategies that the class assembled.
  • I model my thinking of how I would start to measure the first fish on the overhead.
  • After I show the students how to complete the process of measuring one of the fish accurately, the students watch me complete another measurement for the second fish. As I go through the process I make errors.
  • I choose to purposely make mistakes to see if the students are able to correct me.

Guided Practice

  • As I model my thinking and purposely make mistakes, I ask the students to correct me; however, the students must provide a strategy to help me remember to not make the same mistake again. To remind the students of the strategies that I need to remember, the strategies are written on the board so the students are reminded when they work independently.
  • I show various transparencies of fish that the students practice measuring.
  •  While the transparency is on the overhead, I ask the students the length of the fish.  A student is chosen to come up to the overhead and measure the fish using the color tiles. I ask if everyone thinks that the measurement is correct. Additionally, I ask the students how two people might have gotten different measurements.
  • As a class, we measure each of the remaining fish on the transparency and continue to fill out the data chart on the board.

Independent Practice

  • With the students back at their desks, they each are given a bag of 10 color tiles and 10 cubes, the fish measurement worksheet (Appendix F), and a pencil.
  • While working independently, each student is asked to measure the fish on the worksheet with color tiles.
  • The student is not told to have a measurement that includes a ½. The student will just be advised to measure with accuracy.
  • After the measurement process is complete, the students explain their thinking regarding the measurement process of the fish using a complete sentence in the space provided on the worksheet.

Closure

  • When each child has handed in a measurement for the fish, all of the student will sit at their desk.
  • As a whole class, we will measure the fish using the overhead and a transparency of the measuring fish worksheet.
  • In order to review the importance of accuracy while measuring, the class concludes with the “Inches and Feet” BrainPOP video.
  • If time permits, the students may return to the BrainPOP game page where they are able to work with additional measurement activities.