Measuring Inch by Inch

Rational:  We will teach this lesson for many reasons.  Students begin to compare and measure objects without even realizing they are doing so.  It is important for the first grade teacher to help the students in their classroom learn how to measure with both standard and nonstandard tools.  This will be the first lesson in which the students will be introduced to a real nonstandard form of measurement.  The students will compare what they measure with their peers.  They will also compare their results with their peers.  The students will then discuss why the students had different results even though they used the same tool to measure.  The lesson will end here.  Through out the next few lessons the students will be given the opportunity to measure many items with various nonstandard measurement tools.  The lessons will then move into the use of standard forms of measurement. 

Objectives:  The student will

• recall information they learned about measuring from previous lessons.  The student will then apply this knowledge of measurement to the lesson presented below.

• collect information about the measurement of objects in the classroom by demonstrating their ability to use the nonstandard form of measurement provided for this lesson.

• assess the measurements presented by their classmates and discuss why the measurements may/not be the same

TEKS:
Language Arts
(1.1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens attentively and engages actively in a variety of oral language experiences. (A) determine the purpose(s) for listening such as to get information, to solve problems, and to enjoy and appreciate (K-3);

(1.12) Reading/comprehension. The student uses a variety of strategies to comprehend selections read aloud and selections read independently. (A) use prior knowledge to anticipate meaning and make sense of texts (K-3);

Mathematics
(1.7) Measurement. The student uses nonstandard units to describe length, weight, and capacity. (A) estimate and measure length, capacity, and weight of objects using nonstandard units;

 Science
(1.4) Scientific processes. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. (B) record and compare collected information; and(C) measure organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects, using non-standard units such as paper clips, hands, and pencils.

Focus:  This lesson will begin with a whole class reading of the story Inch by Inch written by Leo Lionni. 

Materials:

Book Inch by Inch written by Leo Lionni

Candies in baggies for students to measure with (1 baggie/student)

Baggie of supplies for students (new pencil, 12 inch ruler, floppy disk, jumbo paper clip, crayon, pair of scissors)

Record sheet (pictured items to measure listed) (1 sheet/student)

Activities:

Instructional Input

1. The lesson will begin with the teacher asking the students what measurement is.  The teacher will have the students explore the meaning of measurement, the purpose of measurement, and the tools used to measure.
2. The teacher will then read the book Inch by Inch to the whole class. 
3. After reading the book the teacher will ask the students what the worm in the book measured and how the worm in the book measured those items.
4. The teacher will help the students understand that the little “inch worm” used his body to measure the birds in the story.

Guided Practice

1. The students will be told that they will be going undercover to help solve some mysteries about measurement in the classroom.  For the students to assist in unsolving the mysteries they must become worms.
2. To help the students become worms the teacher will provide gummy worms for the students to use.  The teacher will show the students how they will use the worms to measure items in the classroom. 
3. For example, the teacher will use the worms to measure a pencil.  The teacher will model laying the worms end-to-head to measure.  The teacher will then write the number of worms it took to measure the pencil on the record sheet provided for the students.
4. The teacher will tell the students that they are NOT to eat the worms they are using to measure.  If the students work hard and measure well they will get a treat after the lesson is completed.

Independent Practice

1. The teacher will give each student a baggie of supplies and a record sheet to record their measurements.
2. The students will measure the items listed on the record sheet using their bag of worms.  The students will work independently.
3. Once the students complete their measurements they will rejoin the group and discuss their findings.

Evaluation:  The teacher will evaluate this lesson in a couple of different ways.  First, while the students are working to measure the items listed on their record sheet the teacher will watch to make sure that the students are:

• laying the worms end-to-head

• writing down the number of worms it took to measure the item in the correct place on the record sheet

• counting the worms correctly

• using the record sheet the students are completing the teacher will identify whether or not the students seemed to measure the items correctly.  As each gummy worm is a different size each student may have a slightly different measurement for an item, however the measurements should be within a worm or two of each other.

Closure:  The teacher will lead the students in discussing their detective measurement findings around the classroom.  Hopefully the students measurements will not be equal on every item.  If the measurements are slightly off this will allow the teacher to point out that using a nonstandard form of measurement often times means that each person will get a different measurement even though they used the same tool.  After the discussion the teacher will pick up the students record sheet.  The teacher will then give the students a handful of gummy worms to enjoy.