Title of Book: Measuring Penny
Author: Loreen Leedy
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
ISBN: 0-613-30024-6
Grade Levels for Recommended Use: 4th
TEKS
4th Grade: (8) Geometry and measurement. The student applies mathematical process
standards to select appropriate customary and metric units, strategies, and tools to solve
problems involving measurement. The student is expected to:(A) identify relative sizes of
measurement units within the customary and metric systems; (C) solve problems that deal with
measurements of length, intervals of time, liquid volumes, mass, and money using addition,
subtraction, multiplication, or division as appropriate.
Brief Summary:
Measuring Penny is all about measurement. Lisa is given a project about measurement.
The book allows learners to learn about nonstandard and standard unit measurements. This book
goes into great detail on a wide range of measuring from Penny's ears to how much water she
would like.
Materials needed:
Internet, Computer, Projector, Book, Dog Biscuits, Ruler, Time Schedule Handout, Time
Schedule Question Handout, Pencils
Suggested Activity:
1) Start class with YouTube Song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjNsvSHYK98
2) Have a quick discussion about measurements including standard and nonstandard units.
3) Read book to class, Measuring Penny.
4) Class activity: Stop at page 7 and have each group measure an item using dog biscuits and
then with a ruler. Explain how this is a nonstandard unit of measurement and discuss as a class
what each group discovered.
5) Individual activity: have each student fill out a schedule of their day and night in a twentyfour hour time period. Have them answer how much time various activities took in a twentyfour hour period. Measuring Penny Time Schedule Worksheet.xlsx and Measuring Penny
Activity Worksheet.doc
6) Extended activity ideas
Color and show the measurement of the drawn item the student drew.
http://www.loreenleedy.com/books/penny.pdf
Measure the student's pet or sibling to gain more practice and using the various types of
measurement.
References
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjNsvSHYK98
Measuring Penny Time Schedule Worksheet.xlsx
Measuring Penny Activity Worksheet.doc
Adapted by (Leslie Demmer, 2013)