Skip to main content

Is it Bigger than a Bread Box?

Hi All,

Here's another good activity for the beginning of the school year. Very easily differentiated, you can learn a lot about your students as you watch them work and it gives them a chance to get out of their seats, to get active and move around the room with a purpose. Win-win-win.

The activity is called "Is it Longer Than...?" A good way to begin work on length measurement is with simple comparisons. Remember when a clue in guessing games was, "Is it bigger than a bread box?" Well, that's not going to work too well today, but there are alternatives to the bread box comparison.

*Begin by holding up a common classroom object like an eraser. Ask, "Is your pencil longer than this eraser?" Have students make some predictions about the pencil they have selected, deciding if it is longer, shorter, or the same length as the eraser. Then try a few from volunteers to find out. The results can be surprising. We've all seen some amazingly tiny pencils in our days in the classroom, right?


*After a couple of examples like this, provide students with a copy of the chart at this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7uzoNpBWAFKW55ahDF9TTgQW-gXjb2_/view?usp=sharing

Have students choose an object to be the standard against which they will measure and write what it is in the blank box at the top of the page. Common choices include; pencil, eraser, book, wrist watch, crayon, bracelet, marker, ruler, chalk, board eraser, paper clip, etc.

 *Challenge students to find some things in their desks and in the classroom that are longer than their standard object and some things that are shorter than their standard object. Students can work on their own or in pairs.

 *Allow students to roam the room comparing objects and using their charts to record results ("Yes" column for things that are longer; "No" column for things that are not longer, meaning same length or shorter)

 *Have students share some results from their charts with the rest of the class. To reinforce this learning, having students do the same activity at home is a great piece of homework.

 To differentiate for more experienced students, consider having students use a tool like a ruler to measure each object and record the measurement next to the name of the object. Measurement could be done with a ruler, tape measure, or yard stick and could be in standard or metric units.

 Another option is to let students choose their own non-standard  unit of measure, for example, paper clips or crayons.

Lots of options, but always active, interesting, and simple to do.

 All the best this year! Stay safe, good people. :)
Bob

PS - This is another oldie from my book, Best-Ever Activities for Grades 2-3 Measurement (Scholastic, 2002)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Does Not Belong?

 Hi All,   "What Does Not Belong" is such a great little concept and can be applied to so many different areas of math as well as other content areas. Great little game when you are waiting, like for buses to be called or for the day to begin. Also a great game for long car or bus rides where if there are no written numbers or pictures you really have to do the mental math. Present a group of numbers. Start with maybe six. Say, 10     56     17     122     4     98 Ask the players to identify which number does not belong and have them explain why. We want players to look at the characteristics of the numbers and compare them to try to find the selection criteria or "rule" so they can determine which does not belong. For example, we have a mix of 1, 2, and 3 digit numbers, so it's not the "rule" is not the number of digits. We have five even numbers and only one odd number. That's it! 17 does not belong,...
2 comments
Read more

Piaget Would be Proud! Assessment, Mental Math, Manipulatives, Thinking, Missing Addends, and Kumquats!

 Hi All, This is a super simple, but very revealing activity and so works as a good assessment. Fantastic for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. Try it out and see what you learn about your students. Display a small number of objects in your open hands. Here we have 4 kumquats. (Because I have a kumquat tree in my yard. Any small manipulative will do.) Put your hands behind your back. Close one hand and bring both hands back out in front of you to display 2 kumquats visible in one hand and a closed hand with the rest of them. Remind students that you started with 4 and there are still 4 all together. Ask students, what is in the closed hand. Ask how they know this. Then reveal and discuss. Try another one. Show the 4 objects again, 2 in each hand. Put your hands behind your back and redistribute with 1 object in one hand and 3 objects in the other. Bring your hands to the front and ask how many are in your closed hand. Ask how they know this.  Then reveal and discuss.   Yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Calculator Caller!

Hi All, I had a colleague I taught with for years. She was a passionate second grade teacher with a lot of solid experience. A parent once asked her, "What is the most important thing you can teach a child?" I was thinking that's a tough question. Maybe, to treat others like you would treat yourself? Her immediate reply was, "Place value." Ha, ha! She was a real math maven! Place value is important though! Here's one fun partner activity that gives kids practice with calculators (which they need in standardized tests as well as real life), place value, number recognition, and number words. It's motivating because most kids love to get their hands on calculators and as teachers and parents we're usually telling them, "No calculators!"   1. Each player gets a calculator and a recording sheet. The lead player decides on a number, inputs it into his calculator, writes it down on the record sheet, says it aloud, but does not let his partner se...
Post a Comment
Read more