Created by Colin Benoit, Jessica Perkins & Connor Waddell
INTRODUCTION TO OUR PEERS:
This lesson focuses on units of length measurement that students will encounter and engage with
frequently throughout their lives. An understanding of these units, as well as their relationships to each
other, will supply students with skills that will be directly beneficial to them. The overall intention of this
lesson is to stimulate and motivate studentsâ mathematical thinking by providing them with an authentic
and personally relevant learning experience.
The first part of the lesson will introduce the basic units of length measurement, with emphasis falling
on the Metric system, the most widely used system of standardized measurement in the world. Following
this will be our first student challenge, a short explorative activity where students come up with their own
unit of measurement before measuring objects using their units. A discussion around the success of their
units will follow, which will segway into a conversation about standard vs. non-standard units of length
measurement.
The second challenge for children will involve them taking part in a scavenger hunt, where they will
practice their skills in estimating and measuring various objects or lengths using standardized units of
measurement. In doing so, they will gain familiarity in the basic standard units of length measurement
and their relation to one another. This challenge for children, along with the first, can be modified to take
place in an outdoor greenspace (see the âGreenspace Adaptationâ below).
We hope that by the end of this lesson students will feel more comfortable in their understanding and
applications of units of length measurement in a way that will benefit them academically and otherwise.
Consult these documents for elaborated instructions and materials: Length Measurement Lesson Plan, Challenge # 1 Worksheet, Challenge # 2 Worksheet
GRADE 3
ANTICIPATED TIMELINE: 45 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify and describe common standard and nonstandard units of length measurement, and will develop their abilities to apply them, with justification, in
real-world contexts
BIG IDEA: Standard units are used to describe, measure, and compare attributes of objectsâ shapes
CONTENT: Measurement, using standard units (linear, mass, and capacity)
CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES
Reasoning and analyzing:
⢠Use reasoning to explore and make connections
⢠Estimate reasonably
Understanding and Solving:
⢠Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and
problem solving
Communicating and Representing:
⢠Communicate mathematical thinking in many ways
⢠Use mathematical vocabulary and language to contribute to mathematical discussions
⢠Explain and justify mathematical ideas and decisions
Connecting and Reflecting:
⢠Reflect on mathematical thinking
⢠Connect mathematical concepts to each other and to other areas and personal interests
⢠Incorporate First Peoples worldviews and perspectives to make connections to mathematical
concepts
FIRST PEOPLES PRINICPLES OF LEARNING
⢠Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focus on connectedness, on
reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place)
⢠Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
⢠Measuring tapes
⢠Rulers
⢠Writing utensils
⢠Calculators for conversions
⢠âMeasurement Scavenger Huntâ handout and âCreate Your Own Unit of Measurementâ handout
KEY TERMS
⢠Length
⢠Measurement
⢠Standard unit
⢠Non-standard unit
⢠Metric units (meter, centimeter, millimeter, kilometer)
⢠Imperial units (foot, yard, inch)
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED:
⢠How to use a ruler/measuring tape/the use of technology in exploring mathematics
⢠Terms related to measurement such as length, width, and height
⢠How to estimate reasonably
⢠Direct linear measurement, and a familiarity with standard metric units and their relation to each
other
⢠Place value to hundredths or thousandths
⢠Basic attributes of 2D and 3D objects
⢠Addition and subtraction concepts
⢠Meaning of equality and inequality
LESSON PROGRESSION
1) MATH CHAT ABOUT LENGTH AND MEASUREMENT UNITS:
⢠What is length?
o âThe distance from one end of something to anotherâ
o âThe greatest of side/dimension of a 2D or 3D shapeâ
⢠Introduce and discuss the concept of non-standard units of length (hand, cubit, or step)
o We could agree on pretty much anything to use as a unit of measurement if we wanted
to.
o We might use âstepsâ to measure the length of a soccer field or distance on a map
o We use body parts like our hands and arms to measure length, as in to say it is this
big ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ
o What makes non-standard units helpful?
⪠Easy to visualize and comprehend
⪠Universal (maybe)
o What might make them not so effective?
⪠non-uniform/inconsistent, can lead to confusion
⪠Question: Can you think of something you could use as a unit to measure length?
Did you think of something that was consistently the same size? If not, can you
see a problem with your unit?
⢠Next, discuss Standard Units (cm, m, km)
o In Canada, we use the Metric system as a way to quantify the length (or distance, width,
or height of something). This system is also the most common system of units used
around the world (its official name is the âInternational system of unitsâ, or SI for short).
o There are other standard systems of measurement, including the Imperial system. This
system, prevalent in the everyday lives of Canadians (Canada changed from the Imperial
system to the Metric System in the 1970s and The United States still uses the Imperial
system) uses units such as the inch, yard, mile, or foot. Although not the official system of
measurement in Canada, the Imperial system is still useful to learn about.
o Standardized units are accurate and specific (i.e. the table is 10 meters long, instead of
just âbigâ; each unit has an agreed upon specific length that is always the same)
⢠What makes standard units helpful?
o They make communicating and following instructions easier
o Can make consistent conversions between other systems and cultures
o Necessary for jobs where it is important for measurements to be accurate (ie.
construction, architecture, aviation, etc.)
o The Metric system takes advantage of the base 10 number system/place value and
powers of 10, thus making the conversion between units very easy.
o If looking at these Metric units on a scale from left to right, the unit immediately to the
right of another is 10x smaller, and to the left is 10x bigger.
o This system uses prefixes applied to the term âmeterâ to explain different units (i.e. kilo,
hecto, deka, deci, centi, milli).
o With standardized systems such as the Metric system, we can measure really long things,
as well as really small things effectively, with the same system; there are units that are
appropriate for most things we will need to try and measure throughout our lives
***See Appendix #1 for chart showing relationships between kilometers, centimeters, and
millimeters***
2) KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK STUDENTS
⢠What are standard units of measurement? What are non-standard units?
⢠Why is it helpful to use standard units? When might non-standard units be used?
⢠What is length? How does it differ from something like width?
⢠What are some of the Metric units of measurement? Imperial? Other?
⢠What 4 Metric units do we commonly use to measure and talk about length?
3) ACTIVITY CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS
Challenge 1: Create Your Own Unit of Measurement
In the first hands-on section of our lesson, students will come up with their own unit of length
measurement. Including this creative, improvisational element to the lesson will illustrate the fact that
units of measurement are simply quantities that people create in order to communicate with each other
(i.e. they are not fundamental to math in the way that addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division
are). Students will be instructed to go around the classroom and measure whatever they want – objects,
distances between things, people, etc. – using their unique units of length measurement. They will fill out
a worksheet (see appendix) that identifies and describes their unit of measurement, documents 3 things
they measured (including their estimations before measuring), and asks them to explain whether or not
they thought their unit of measurement worked well and why it did/didnât. After their exploration,
students will be led in a discussion where they share their findings and thoughts on their units of
measurement. Then, they will be asked questions intended to lead them into the next stage of our lesson
which focuses on the practicality of having a variety of standardized units (for example: âWhat types of
objects do you think your unit would be helpful/unhelpful in measuring?â, âDo you foresee any problems
with your unit of measurement?â, and âWhy might it be problematic for everyone in the class to have
different units of measurement?â, etc.).
***Please see Appendix # 2 for handout***
Challenge 2: Measurement Scavenger Hunt
Using a ruler and/or measuring tape, students will estimate and measure the length of different objects in
the classroom. This activity is meant to familiarize students with the standard units typically found on a
ruler, while getting them out of their desk and moving around the school or school grounds. Because this
activity asks you to find items that are of a certain length, estimation skills are naturally built into it.
Students have to look around and ask what would be reasonably close to 15 mm (for example) and then
test their hypothesis. This challenge can be done individually, in groups, competitively or noncompetitively.
***Please see the Appendix# 3 for handout***
OPPORTUNITES TO DIFFERENTIATE, PERSONALIZE, OR EXTEND
The complexity of the measurements required for the scavenger hunt can be adapted to meet the needs
of advanced or struggling students. For students who are less confident taking measurements, an option
is to mark the specific spot on the ruler they are reading from with an arrow or sticker. Limit the number
of measurements they have to take if necessary. Consider partnering students with an experienced peer
as well.
EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Have students convert their unit of measurement into the unit of measurement created by a
classmate/classmates, or have students practice converting units they have measured during challenge 2
into other units (metric or otherwise).
EXTENSION QUESTIONS
⢠What are some examples where Canadians might use non-metric units to describe distance?
⢠Can you measure any other dimensions of the objects whose length youâve measured?
⢠Do you know the names for those dimensions?
⢠What other standard units of measurement can you think of that werenât mentioned in todayâs
lesson? (i.e. light years, etc.)
⢠What would be the most reasonable unit to measure the length of an old cedar tree? What
would be the most reasonable unit to measure the distance between Victoria and Nanaimo?
⢠What would be the most reasonable unit to measure the length of an eagle feather?
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
1) Have students complete âMeasurement Scavenger Hunt 2â and/or the âGreen Space Adaptationâ
***Please see Appendix #4 and #5 for both activities***
2) Once students become familiar with metric (and other) units of measurement, one subsequent lesson
could be designed that further explore the relation of units to each other. For example, an activity that
follows this lesson could involve using the data contained on the worksheets from this lesson to
convert into other units of measurement.
CROSS CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
PHE: students can perform various track and field/athletic movements and have them measure the
results. For example, students could measure each otherâs running stride, how far they can jump, or how
far they can throw an object
Art: students can create their own street scene, beach scene, or house using measurement to explore
proportion, uniformity, and other related concepts
Social Studies/Indigenous Cultures: students can explore how different cultures in the past, specifically
Indigenous cultures, created and utilized units of length measurement
Science: students can explore units of measurement in the natural environment by studying and
comparing units of measurement used to quantify properties of certain plants, animals, or microorganisms. Students could create graphs based on data collected
ASSESSMENT
Following the triangulation model of assessment, and with a focus on formative assessment (as this is
intended to be a largely introductory lesson) we will derive assessment information from students based
on conversations, observations, and products. Group discussions are a big part of our lesson plan, and
these will help teachers assess student understanding to further guide them in their instruction
(formative assessment), as well as what students have learned at the closing of the lesson (summative
assessment). Observing students as they discuss ideas with classmates, explore their surroundings during
both student challenges, and complete their worksheets will provide more opportunity for assessment.
Finally, the completed worksheets will serve as valuable products for assessment that will give teachers a
good idea of what students have learned during this lesson, as well as providing teachers with more
evidence on which to base subsequent lessons.