Teach this, classroom measurements are fun!

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We Measure Everything!

Measurement is a part of our everyday life – and that of our students!  Not a day goes by that they don’t ask or hear:

  • What’s the temperature outside?small thermometer
  • How long is it until lunch/PE/dismissal?small clock
  • How many more miles is it to Grandma’s house?  speedometer
  • And so many more!
So when I introduce my Measurement Unit to my fourth graders my goal is for them to understand not just how to answer the test questions, but how to use their measurement skills on a daily basis!  
 
Most of our nine and ten year olds already realize that when they go to a doctor their height, weight, and  temperature will be measured.  They should also realize that in order to bake their birthday cake, the ingredients need to be measured.  And I hope that they already realize that their daily school schedule is measured in the amount of time needed for each activity.  
 
But what they may not know is that their height was measured using a stadiometer (neither did I!), their weight was measured using a scale, and their temperature was measured using a thermometer.  The ingredients to bake the cake were measured using measuring spoons and measuring cups.  And different sections of their school day are measured using a clock.  Phew – That’s a lot!  But we’re not done!  At that doctor’s office, their height was measured in feet and in inches, their weight was measured in pounds and ounces, and their temperature was measured in degrees Fahrenheit.  In the kitchen, those cake ingredients were measured in teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups.  And at school those sections of time were measured in hours, minutes, and maybe even seconds!  
 
That’s a ton (2,000 pounds!) to cover with your fourth graders!  How did we ever learn and remember all of that?  We’ve had tons of practice!  And our students need all of that practice too.  Not to mention that they’ve got to also master those measurements in not only our Customary Units (here in the United States), but also the units of the Metric System!  Oh my – now they’re definitely confused. 

But there is a way to build our students’ measurement skills. 

It’s through hands-on practice.   They have to have experience reading increments on beakers, graduated cylinders, and scales.  They have to practice using those rulers, measuring tapes, and meter sticks.  And they definitely need the practice reading clocks and thermometers. 
How are you ever going to cover all of that information, all of those terms, and all of those conversions in you math class?  Here’s how I’ve been doing it:  
thermometer measurement
First I introduce weight and mass terms (Customary and Metric) and the tools to measure.  I make sure my students know that these terms answer the question:  How heavy is it?  We record terms in our Math journals.  Then I demonstrate how to read the scales, and students guess how much different items in our classroom might weigh.  They use known amounts to estimate weights of larger items.  For example:  I weigh 100 pounds, so my horse probably weighs 700 pounds.
 
Then I cover length the same way – make sure students know we’re talking about:  How long is it?
 
Next capacity.  These terms answer the question:  “How much will it hold?”  or “How much does it contain?” At this point I’ll introduce Gallon King so my students understand the relationships between gallons, quarts, pints, and cups.   I hate to cook, so I never mastered these measurements until one of my fourth graders told me the story of the Gallon King, now it’s a piece of cake!Gallon King Conversion ImageGrab your own Gallon KIng Anchor Chart here!
When we cover temperature we practice reading thermometers in both degrees Fahrenheit and in Celsius.  Set a thermometer outside and check it each time you go out for recess.
 
And last but not least, we review time.  I hoping students remember what they were taught in 2nd and 3rd grade, but that certainly is not always the case, so lots of review.    In 4th grade we’ve go to add Elapsed time, so lots of, “What time will it be in 15 minutes?  “What time was it 45 minutes ago?” And, “How long did it last?”   

 

Then we’re going to complete our Measurement Labs! The lab is a 24 question hands-on activity that includes all the components of measurement: using the tools, recognizing the terms, and converting measurements. It includes weight, mass, length, capacity, time, and temperature in both customary and metric units. The hands on measurement lab gives students all the confidence they need in order to master their measurement objectives!

Try these teaching tools!

Measurement Lab Product

Check out the Best Measurement activity of the year here. All the lab questions, extension questions, and set up instructions included.

Download your FREE Measurement Lab here!
Measurement Bundle

And for digital practice of all the same skills – check out this bundle on TPT!

 
 
Buy on TeachersPayTeachers

Your students will love the Measurement Lab.  Afterwards mine always ask, “Can we do this again?’  I also hear them later asking, “Can I weigh my shoes?” and even, “How tall do you think Mr. Kelly is?”  But some of the questions are not so easy to answer – such as:  “Ms. Billeaud, did we get our full thirty minutes of recess?”  My typical response is, “How many seconds is that?”  If they can answer quickly, we’ll get a couple of extra minutes! 

Measurement is so much fun!

 

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