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Materials: large roll of paper, yardstick, meter stick, rulers, liquid measurement containers (cup, pint, quart, gallon), optional: food coloring
Standard and/or Metric Conversions:
1. How Long Are You?
(kinesthetic activity to apply knowledge of measurement and conversions)
Students will work with a partner to trace an outline of their body. Then, they use a yardstick to measure: their height, the length of their arm, the length of their leg, ect… Once they record each measurement, they then convert it to feet and inches.
This can also be done with a meter stick. Students can convert within the metric system, and/or compare their measurements in each system.
2. Scavenger Hunt (for application & analysis of learned measurement concepts)
Pre-measure selected items throughout the room. ie. the length and width of a student desk, the classroom door, a ca binet, a window, ect…
Create a document that has the pre-recorded measurements, in any unit you choose, and have the students work with a partner to find the item using the given dimensions. Students will need rulers/measuring sticks to match the item with the given dimensions.
Challenge: Provide the measurements in a unit that must be converted. For example, instead of saying 2 ft 3 in, say 27in, or vice versa. Have students provide the alternate measurement.
Metric Conversions:
3. Conversion Stairway (introductory or practice activity: visual and kinesthetic way to learn/practice conversion steps)
Create a staircase on the floor with masking or electrical tape. Label it with the metric measurements, as shown in the Notebook presentation. Provide the students with practice problems. As they complete the problems, let them “walk the staircase” to find the conversion factor.
Standard Conversions:
4. Capacity Station (Introductory or practice activity: visual & kinesthetic way to build the concept of capacity conversions)
*This is a wet station. Students will need a source of water, and an area prepared for possible spills.
Provide the students with a liquid measurement set (cup, pint, quart, gallon)
Provide the students with practice problems, and let them pour the water from one container into another, counting the number of times it takes to fill/empty one container from another.
For example, it will take 2 full cups to fill one pint.
For an extra visual, put drop of food coloring in each container, so the water will change color when poured from one container to another.
NJ Center for Teaching and Learning www.njctl.org