Provide groups of students with metre rulers, tape measures and 30 cm rulers. Discuss the fact that these are standard measurements. Talk about where you begin measuring from. Many children have misconceptions about where you start measuring from. Reinforce that they should start measuring from the zero, and not the edge of the ruler.
Children then need to measure accurately a list of given items. For example they may be asked to measure the stapler, a window or the length of chalk.
Adaptation for NESB students: Discuss the word 'accurate', and that using a standard measurement gives an accurate measurement, one that is always the same. Stress that the standard measurements need to be used carefully so that they are really the same always.
Compare the measurements children come up with to ensure all children are using the ruler or tape measure correctly.
Putting it all into practice.
Quiz time - Organise children into groups of 3 or 4, ask children to select five to ten items that are visible around the room. The items must include things more than a metre, around and metre and less than a metre.
The lists of items are exchanged so that each group gets a new list of 5-10 items.
Children's task is to:
At the end of the session groups can hand their answers to the group that developed the list of items to discuss the benchmark used, the estimate and actual measurement.
Conclude by sharing the strategies that children feel that they can now use to work out the length of given items.
What are the key benchmarks you have equipped yourself with and aim to use when asked to measure certain items?
Adaptation for NESB students: Check that all students understand the difference between a 'personal benchmark' and a 'standard benchmark' and what a 'benchmark' is.
Published on: 09 Jan 2018
