Lesson Plan : Customary Measurement
Teacher Name: | Tammy Reinhart |
Grade: | Grade 4 |
Subject: | Math |
Topic: | Customary Units of Measurement |
Content: | Estimate Measurement Inch Foot Yard Mile |
Goals: | Students will measure items to the nearest inch, foot, and yard. Students will estimate the length of items to the nearest inch, foot, and yard. |
Objectives: | The learner will demonstrate application of measurement by estimating and measuring the length of items to the nearest inch, foot, and yard. |
Materials: | Overhead, transparency, whiteboards, markers, textbooks |
Introduction: | List several items in the classroom (a piece of chalk, the length of a science book, the height of the overhead, etc.) Ask students how they would go about measuring these items. Have students discuss this in their teams. Then have students make a circle map in their math journals for measurement. Have students create a circle map showing what they already know about measurement. Share some of their information with the class. |
Development: | (Exact Measurement)Tell students that after this week we will have studied length, weight, and capacity in both the customary and metric systems starting with customary length. Name the customary units of length from largest to smallest and give examples of items that are these lengths. Units of Customary Length inch (in.)�about the length of your thumb from your knuckle to the end, about the width of a quarter, or the length of a small paper clip foot (ft.)�the length of a standard 12-inch ruler, about the length of a man�s shoe, or about the length of a sheet of paper from top to bottom yard (yd.)�three feet, the length of a yardstick, about the length of a baseball bat mile (mi.)�5,280 feet, about the distance an average person can walk in 20 minutes, and used to measure distance between cities, etc. Table of Equivalencies 1 foot = 12 inches 1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches 1 mile =5,280 ft. =1,760 yd. (Estimation)Explain that inches, feet, yards, and miles are standard units because they are always the same. An inch is always and inch; one ruler will be the same length as another, etc. Discuss why it is important to use standard units to assure accuracy in measuring. Next, explain how one can estimate the length of an item by using body parts. A student can use his or her thumb to measure to the nearest inch. The length of the arm from elbow to end of the hand is about a foot. From the floor to a student�s shoulder is a yard. The span of a student�s arms when outstretched is also about a yard. |
Practice: | (Exact Measurement)Have teams set up a Customary Units of Length tree map on a piece of paper with the following branches�inches, feet, and miles. Explain that yards are not used very often, so we are not including them on the tree map. Using roundtable, have teams sort and place cards according to the unit that would be used to measure each. Have one student draw a card and explain which unit he would choose and why. Teammates indicate agreement or disagreement with a thumbs up or down. If all agree, the student may place the card on the tree map. Continue with students taking turns until all items have been placed. Students can then glue the items in place. (Estimatimation)Have students make a two-column chart of Estimated Length and Actual Length and then have them work in pairs to measure various items in the classroom after estimating their length. Stress that an estimate must be made before measuring. |
Accommodations: | Advanced Learner-Students will find out how many miles from their home to the school using mapquest. Then they will find out how many yard it is from the classroom to the playground. They will do this in pairs. Strategic Learners-The teacher will work in small groups to further facilitate the understanding of customary units of measurement. Using inch rulers and yardsticks, students will determine the best unit of measurement to use to measure specific items in the classroom. |
Checking For Understanding: | Students will be assessed using the tree maps, two column charts, and Worksheet 9-9. |
Closure: | In their math journals, have students list the customary units of length from smallest to largest and name two or three items that would be measured using each. |
Evaluation: | |
Teacher Reflections: |
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