5th Grade
Math Remediation Lessons
Unit 13 – Measurement Topics
For the unit – Have students keep conversion charts in their math notebooks. They can refer back to it as they
progress through the lessons.
Sample –
Customary Units of Length
1 foot
12 inches
1 yard
36 inches
1 yard
3 feet
1 mile
5280 feet
1 mile
1760 yards
Lesson 1 – Relating Customary Units of Length
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Estimate the length of an object using customary units.
Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch, 1/2 inch, 1/4 inch, or 1/8 inch.
Convert customary units of length.
Remediation:
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Have a variety of objects available for students to measure to the nearest eighth inch, quarter inch, half inch,
and/or inch. Example items – pencil, crayon, eraser, notebook, etc. This center can be set up for the duration of
the unit.
o Students can record an estimate to the nearest inch of each object first, and then use their rulers to find
the length.
Have a list of measurements available, such as 2 inches, 3 ¼ inches, 5 ½ inches, 8 1/8 inches, etc. Students can
draw a line the length of each measurement.
Students can complete the Converting Units practice sheet, which is marked as Optional in the lesson teacher
guide.
Go to the following website and select “Hard Inches”. http://www.funbrain.com/measure/index.html This is
marked as an optional Extension in the teacher guide.
Write the following measurements on index cards – 72 inches, 56 inches, 83 inches, 15 inches, 26 inches. Have
students convert the measurements to feet and inches. You can also write 8 feet, 2 feet, 10 feet, 6 feet, and 12
feet, and have students convert those measurements to yards.
Students can measure the following in inches, feet, and yards – length of desk, length of chalkboard, length of
Promethean board, length of classroom, etc. Which unit is EASIEST to use for each of these?
Write the following measurements on index cards – I yd, 2 ft, 38 in., 15 in., 4 ft., 50 in. Have students order the
measurements from least to greatest.
Have students do the Personal Benchmarks activity below. Focus only on the customary measurements.
Lesson 2 – Relating Customary Units of Capacity
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Convert customary units of capacity.
Compare customary units of capacity.
Remediation:
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Have the following containers available – the pint, quart, gallon, and cup. Students can practice with
equivalences, i.e. 4 qt. = 1 gallon, by pouring water from 1 container to another. You can also have various other
containers available, and students can compare if they have a capacity greater or less than a quart. This can be
set up as a center for the duration of the unit.
Write the following measurements on index cards – 3 cups, 1 pt, 5 pts, 2 qts, 1 gallon, 17 cups, 3 qts, 32 fl. oz.,
16 fl. oz. Have students order from least to greatest.
Lesson 3 – Relating Customary Units of Weight
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Estimate a customary unit of weight.
Convert customary units of weight.
Compare customary units of weight.
Remediation:
 Have available a pencil (1 oz benchmark) and stapler or bag of dried beans (1 lb benchmark). Also have a
balance and various objects available to weigh. Put an object in one side of the balance and the pencil or
stapler/bag of beans in the other side. Is the object greater or less than an ounce? Greater or less than a pound?
Record the information in your math notebook. This can be set up as a center for the duration of the unit.
 Write the following measurements on index cards – 1 ton, 3000 pounds, 80 ounces, 4 pounds, 250 pounds, 3000
ounces. Have students order from least to greatest.
Lesson 4 – Temperature
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Estimate temperature in degrees Celsius.
Estimate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
Read a thermometer in degrees Celsius.
Read a thermometer in degrees Fahrenheit.
Compute a final temperature given the starting temperature and the change in temperature.
Remediation:
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Have available a set of thermometers (you likely received some with your science materials). Let students use
the thermometers to measure the temperature of various things, for example a cup of warm water, a cup of cold
water, an ice cube, room temperature, the temperature outside, temperature over a heater or air conditioner, etc.
They should record their results in their math notebooks using a format such as the one below.
Item/Location Being Measured
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Temperature in Fahrenheit (°F) and Celsius (°C)
Give students the following scenarios. They should determine the final temperature for each.
o The temperature is 68 °F, and it rises 21°.
o The temperature is 42 °F, and it rises 18°.
o The temperature is 20°C, and it falls 15°.
o The temperature is 10°C, and it rises 8°.
o The temperature is 80 °F, and it falls 13°.
Lesson 5 – Units of Time
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Convert units of time.
Find elapsed time.
Remediation:
 Have students count on by one hour to find the elapsed time between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Then have students
count by fives to find the elapsed time between 1:00 pm and 1:35 pm. Make sure students understand that there
are 7 groups of 5 between 1:00 and 1:35, so 7x5 = 35 minutes have passed. Students can use a picture of an
analog clock in the textbook or a Judy clock for a visual.
 Present students with problems that require them to count on by 1 for the hour and 5 for the minutes. Students
who are having difficulties should write the times vertically, first counting by ones and then by 5s.
o Example – how much time is between 1:40 and 4:05?
1:40
2:40
3:40 (2 hrs)
3:45
3:50
3:55
4:00
4:05 (25 min)
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For students having difficulty, have them draw a number line with times, such as the one below from nsa.gov -
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This Scholastic worksheet about an elapsed time mystery can be used as an enrichment activity http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/pdf/crime.pdf
Elapsed time website - http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_318_g_2_t_4.html?from=category_g_2_t_4.html
Write the following problems on index cards for students to solve. They can use the chart on pg. 310 for help.
o 6 minutes = _________ s
o 100 minutes = _____ h _____min
o 180 s = ________min
o 312 s = _____min ______s
o 3 hrs = _____ min
o 2 years = _______days
o 200 yrs = _____cent
o 12 weeks = _____ days
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Lesson 6 – Time Zones
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Use a map to identify a time zone, given the city.
Compare times in different time zones.
Remediation:
 Go to the following website marked as an optional Extension in the lesson teacher guide.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/t/timezones.shtml
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Print out maps of the US, such as this one - http://www.50states.com/tools/usamap.htm Students can color in the
maps based on time zone – for example, red for Pacific, blue for Mountain, yellow for Central, and green for
Eastern.
Give students the following scenarios. They should give the time that it is in Mississippi.
o 3:00 pm in San Francisco
o 11 am in Philadelphia
o 5 pm in Denver
o 8 pm in New York City
o 1 pm in St. Louis
o 9 am in Boise
o 12 pm (noon) in Portland
Lesson 7 – Computing Customary Units
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Add customary units of measure.
Subtract customary units of measure.
Add units of time.
Subtract units of time.
Remediation:
 Have students practice adding the following measurements – 8 in. + 5 in., 3 quarts + 6 quarts, 12 oz. + 6 oz., 30
min. + 45 min. Make sure students know to regroup by feet, gallons, pounds, and hours. Students can look back
at previous lessons in the text to see the conversion tables, or in their math notebooks if they have been recording
the tables.
 Students can look at the examples below to help solve regrouping problems.
Example 1
3 ft. 2 in.
- 1 ft. 7 in.
To Solve Regroup as feet. Remember, there are 12 inches in a foot.
Borrow 12 inches (1 foot) from 3 feet.
Example 2
4 yd 1 ft
- 3 yd 2 ft
To Solve –
Regroup as yards. Remember, there are 3 feet in a yard.
Borrow 3 feet (1 yard) from 4 yards.
Practice solving the following problems. Show all of your work.
1. 8 ft. 6 in.
- 4 ft 9 in.
2. 12 lbs. 4 oz.
- 7 lbs. 11 oz.
3. 5 yd.
- 3 yd. 1 ft.
4. 8 gal 1 qt
- 6 gal 3 qt
5. 6 hr 23 min
- 4 hr 42 min
Lesson 8 – Problem-Solving Applications
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Solve a word problem involving measurement.
Solve a word problem involving time.
Remediation:
 Give students the Error Analysis sheet below.
Error Analysis
1. James bought 3 gallons, 2 quarts of paint for his bedroom. He bought 4 gallons, 2 pints to paint his living room. How
much paint did James buy all together?
Number Sentence – 3 gallons, 2 quarts + 4 gallons, 2 pints =
Answer = 7 gallons, 4 quarts = 8 gallons
Is the answer correct? ____
If the answer is incorrect, solve for the correct answer. Show all of you work.
The correct answer is - _______
2. Tmareya waited in line at the movies for 95 minutes. Andre waited in line at the movies for 1 hour, 22 minutes. How
much longer did Tmareya wait than Andre?
Number Sentence – 95 minutes – 122 minutes =
Answer = 27 minutes
Is the answer correct? ____
If the answer is incorrect, solve for the correct answer. Show all of you work.
The correct answer is - _______
3. When Bryce was 10 years old, he was 4 feet, 8 inches tall. When he was 16, he was 70 inches tall. How much did
Bryce grow?
Number Sentences – 4 feet, 8 inches = 56 inches
70 inches – 56 inches =
Answer = 14 inches = 1 foot, 2 inches
Is the answer correct? ____
If the answer is incorrect, solve for the correct answer. Show all of you work.
The correct answer is - _______
4. Amber bought two steaks for a party. One weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces and the other weighed 50 ounces. How much
did the steaks weigh all together?
Number Sentence – 58 ounces + 50 ounces =
Answer = 108 ounces
Is the answer correct? _____
If the answer is incorrect, solve for the correct answer. Show all of your work.
The correct answer is - _______