Copy this chart on
your cover page
Ballpark Conversions
Inch= about 2.5 centimeters or 25 millimeters
Yard= almost a meter (meter is about 40 inches, a
yard is 36 inches)
Mile= about 1.5 kilometers (miles are about 1.5
times longer than kilometers)
Ounce= about 28 grams
Quart= about the same as a liter
Pound= about 2 kilograms (if you weigh 100 pounds,
then you weigh 50 kilograms)
6.9
The student will make ballpark comparisons between measurements in the
U.S. Customary System of measurement and measurements in the metric
system.
a) length — part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards, miles,
millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers;
b) weight/mass — ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms;
c) liquid volume — cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and liters; and
d) area — square units. *
6.9 Vocabulary (handout given to students)
Capacity - A measure of the ability to receive, hold, or absorb volume.
Length - A measure used as a unit to estimate distances.
Weight - Weight is determined by the pull of gravity on the mass of an object. The weight of an object
changes dependent on the gravitational pull at its location.
Mass - Mass is the amount of matter in an object. The mass of an object remains the same regardless of its location. In everyday life, most people are actually
interested in determining an object’s mass, although they use the term weight, as shown by the questions: “How much does it weigh?” versus “What is its mass?”
Volume –The amount of space that a three dimensional figure contains. Volume is expressed in cubic units, it tells you the number of cubes of a given size are
used to fill the figure.
Area – The product of the length and the width (A = l  w). The area of a triangle is one half of the measure of the base times the height: A = bh, or A = bh ÷ 2.
Square Unit – Units used when measuring the area of a two-dimensional figure.
U.S. Customary System –System of measurements using inch, foot, yard, mile, fluid ounce, cup, pint, quart, gallon, dry ounce, pound, and ton.
Inch –measurement, about the width of a quarter
Foot –used to measure length, equal to 12 inches.
Yard –3 feet, approximate distance from nose to fingertip for the average adult
Mile –used to measure distance, equal to 1,760 yards
Ounce (oz) – measurement for liquids or solids; (p. 470) fluid ounce (fl oz), about 2 tablespoons of water; dry ounce (oz), about the weight of a pencil
Pound (lb) –used to measure mass, 1 pound = 16 ounces, 1 package of notebook paper
Ton (T) –solid measurement, 1 ton = 2,000 pounds, average passenger car
Cup (c) –liquid measurement, 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, coffee cup
Pint (pt) –liquid measurement, 1 pint = 2 cups, small ice cream container
Quart (qt) –liquid measurement, 1 quart = 2 pints, small plastic jug of milk
Gallon (gal) –liquid measurement, 1 gallon = 4 quarts, large plastic jug of milk
Metric System –A decimal system of units based on the meter as a unit length, the gram as a unit mass, and the liter as a unit of volume.
Meter (m) –basic unit of length in the metric measurement system, equivalent to 39.37 inches or just more than 3 feet.
Centimeter (cm) –metric measurement, 2.5 centimeters = to 1 inch, half the width of a penny
Kilometer (km) –metric measurement for distances, 6.2 km = to 1 mile, six city blocks
Millimeter (mm) –length measurement, 25 millimeters = 1 inch, thickness of a dime
Liter (L) –liquid metric measure, 1 liter = 1 quart, 1 small pitcher
Milliliter (ml) –liquid metric measurement, 1 milliliter = 0.03 fl oz, an eyedropper
Gram (g) – metric measurement for solids, a paper clip
Kilogram (kg) –solid metric measure, 1 kilograms = 2 pounds, six medium apples
Milligram (mg) –A metric unit of mass. One Milligram equals one-thousandth of a gram. A grain of sand
standard unit The measurement of the mass, length, or volume of an object using either the Customary System or the Metric System
nonstandard unit
temperature water freezes
temperature water boils
Used to estimate the mass, length, or volume of an object using a comparative unit
0° C and 32°F
100°C and 212°F
normal body temperature
About 37°C and 98°F
6.9 U.S. Customary Examples (handout given to students)
Graphic Organizers
Length
Inch
Foot-12 inches
Yard- 3 Feet /36 inches
12 in
12 in
Foot
12 in
Mile- 1760 yards /5,280 feet
Weight/mass
Ounce (oz)
Pound (lb) 16 ounces
Ton- 2,000 lbs
Capacity
Cup -8 oz
Gallon- 4 quarts
Pint-2 cups - 16 oz
Quart- 2 pints
6.9 Metric
Handout given to students
Graphic
Organizer
King
Henry Died Drinking Chocolate Milk
Length-meter
A millimeter is about the
thickness of a plastic id
card
A fingernail is about one
centimeter wide.
guitar is about 1 meter
travels would be
measured using
kilometers.
Weight/mass-Gram
A paperclip weighs about 1 gram.
A dictionary has a
mass of about one
kilogram.
Capacity-Liter
Here is a milliliter
of milk in a
teaspoon.
Liter
2 liter
6.9 Non-Standard (handout given to students)
Sometimes you will be asked to measure with something that is not a ruler,
for example, a crayon, a pencil, your hand, and so on. You should use the
line tool on computer tests or paper on paper tests to make your own ruler to
measure with. Here are some examples.
How many lady bugs are the same height as the flower?
Make your own
ruler the same
height as me!
Ladybug ruler
CLOZE ACTIVITY (handout given to students to complete)
Fill in the missing information on your paper.
-1 inch is about 2.5 centimeters.
– 1 foot is about 30 centimeters.
– 1 meter is a little longer than a yard, or about 40 inches.
– 1 mile is slightly farther than 1.5 kilometers.
– 1 kilometer is slightly farther than half a mile.
– 1 ounce is about 28 grams.
– 1 nickel has the mass of about 5 grams.
– 1 kilogram is a little more than 2 pounds.
– 1 quart is a little less than 1 liter.
– 1 liter is a little more than 1 quart.
– Water freezes at 0°C and 32°F.
– Water boils at 100°C and 212°F.
– Normal body temperature is about 37°C and 98°F.
– Room temperature is about 20°C and 70°F.