Understanding Inches, Feet and Yards Unit of Study 8: Length in Customary Units Global Concept Guide: 1 of 3

Content Development  Standard linear measurement in inches was added to Florida Standards for 1 st grade at the end of last year. Students may or may not have been exposed to rulers and inches. Pre-assessment will be necessary.  Students will need multiple opportunities to practice how to use a ruler correctly.  Develop student understanding that they are measuring with a unit (e.g. inch or foot). The unit does not change as it is used over and over. Students should record the unit with the number to reflect precision. (e.g. 6 inches in contrast to 6) If students just write a number, without the unit, it has no meaning.  Throughout this GCG allow students to make connections to math in the real world by measuring objects around the classroom, school and home. (SMP 4)  Learn Zillion video ~ Quick code Solve Length Word Problems Using Color Tiles – comparing lengths Learn Zillion

Day 1  Essential question: How can I measure more efficiently using my measuring tool?  The color tile, which is approximately one inch, is used for a non-standard unit of measure to develop concrete understanding of the inch. Sample engage:  Have students measure the length of a common object (desk- a larger object so that there will be a variance in the results) using only 2 colored tiles.  Illicit discussion about:  Have students share their results. Discuss why the results were different. (The expectation is that students will get a different result because of inaccurate measurements and an inefficient tool.)  What made measuring with the two tiles difficult?  How do you know your answer is accurate?  What would you do to check your measurement?  What could we do to make it easier to measure?  Discuss about efficiency of this measuring tool and how it can be improved.  We want to lead the students to realize the color tiles could be used to measure, but there are more efficient strategies. If they had more color tiles to work with that would have made it more efficient, and even better if the tiles had been connected (leading them to want a ruler).  Students should use their created ruler to measure objects in the classroom.

Day 1 continued Lay down a strip of 1 inch wide painter’s tape or masking tape sticky side up. Lay 12 colored tiles on top of the tape using alternating colors. There should not be any space in between the tiles. The extra tape can be trimmed off the edges or left. If possible have all students use the same colors and start with the same color. If you don’t have enough or can sway off with another teacher, talk about it as your 1 st color or 2 nd color. Use the measuring tool to measure objects around the classroom. Discuss the improvements made on your measuring tool. Students can record their measurements in their journal making sure to attend to precision and say, “The marker is about 5 tiles long.” Challenge students to measure the same object but start at a different color. What happens? Continue measuring objects. As they are measuring encourage them to think of ways to make their measuring tool more efficient. Close lesson with journal question, “First write how we made our measuring tool more efficient using words or pictures. Now, come up with more ways to make your measuring tool more efficient.”

Day 1 continued By the end of Day 1, students will be able to accurately measure objects using their measuring tool from the beginning of any tile. Use the following as your daily journal question: “First write how we made our measuring tool more efficient using words or pictures. Now, come up with more ways to make your measuring tool more efficient.” Look at student journal responses to select students to highlight for your engage tomorrow. Look for students that decide numbers would make the measuring tool more efficient. Don’t select a student who mentioned a ruler. Our focus is to build the progression up to a ruler.

Day 2  Essential question: How can I connect my measuring tool to a ruler?  You may not want to show the essential question prior to the lesson.  Sample engage:  Highlight students who decided to put numbers on their tool to make it more efficient. Continue to emphasize that when measuring length, we are counting the spaces on the ruler. Regardless of where the object is placed on the ruler, the number of spaces does not change. (see TE p. 401 A - Teaching for Depth) Fish Tales Excursion Lesson Teacher and Student-The scope for this GCG is to understand and measure using feet and inches. If you use this resource you will need to pick and choose because it covers areas beyond this.TeacherStudent

Day 2 continued  Discuss why numbers would make our tool easier to use and what exactly those numbers will represent. The idea is for students to realize that the entire tile reflects the value of the number. If we want to say something is 1 tile long, it should make it to the end of the 1 st tile.  Common Misconceptions:  Some common misconceptions are putting number 1 at the beginning of the measuring tool.   Some students may place the 1 in the middle of the first tile.

Day 2 continued Put glue along the backside of the taped measuring tool and glue it to paper or a sentence strip. Do not worry about cutting any of the paper off. There should be some paper before the ruler so students understand that we measure where the unit starts. Draw tick marks to represent 0 and where each unit ends. Label the tick marks with numbers. Allow students to measure objects using their even more efficient measuring tool. Students should also measuring from different places on their measuring tool to see that the length of the object stays the same. This will be developed more in 3 rd grade with the broken ruler.

Day 2 continued  While students are measuring listen for students who might mention it being similar to a ruler. Share that thought with students and then use a ruler to determine to validate the measurements on their measuring tool. They will discover it is the same. Let students know that 12 inches is called a foot.  Students can use their book, Go Math, Lesson 8.2 to practice measuring inches with a ruler.  By the end of Day 2, students will see the connection between their measuring tool and a ruler. Students will also be able to accurately measure in inches with a ruler.

Day 3  Essential question: How can I measure something larger than a ruler?  Students will build on their knowledge of an inch to measure in feet. By the end of this day students should have a concrete understanding that 12 inches is the same as one foot.  Sample engage question:  Discuss with students a 12-inch ruler is also a foot so it will be more efficient to measure with by feet than measuring groups of 12 inches.  Have students measure objects or lengths that are several feet long like a bookcase, door, or have blue painters tape precut in different lengths taped to the floor around the room. Label objects/lengths to be measured and have students record their results in the journal.  Now link 3 feet to a yard and have students measure lengths like the hallway with a yardstick. Discuss how a yardstick is a more efficient tool for measuring large objects.  By the end of Day 3, students will be able to measure larger objects/lengths with a ruler and yardstick.

Day 4  Essential question: How can I determine the length difference of two objects?  Sample engage question: Show a glue stick and a marker. Ask students what is the difference between the glue stick and the marker. Have students estimate the difference in inches. Then allow students to find the difference by actually measuring with a ruler. Some students may measure each object and subtract, while some students may measure just the difference(the extra length of the marker). As a teacher, you will want to highlight both strategies with the most efficient strategy shared last.  Which portion of the marker represents the difference?  Can you write a number sentence to match?  How can you determine the difference of two objects?  What portion of the marker is the same as the glue stick?  Is there another way to say, “The marker is ___ inches longer than the glue stick.” (The glue stick is ___ inches shorter than the marker.) Continue discovering the difference in lengths with the activity Comparing Lengths.Comparing Lengths  By the end of Day 2, students will be able to determine the length difference of two objects. Sample daily journal questions.daily journal questions.

Enrich/Reteach/Intervention Reteach  Learn Zillion video ~ Quick code Solve Length Word Problems Using Color Tiles – comparing lengths Learn Zillion  Math Talk in Action TE p. 391  Measurement Practice – extra practice with measuring inches Measurement Practice  Animated Go Math Model- Understanding Inches Animated Go Math Model  Animated Go Math Model- Measure to the nearest Inch Animated Go Math Model  Animated Go Math Model- Measure in inches and feet Animated Go Math Model Enrich  Enrich TE p. 393 B  Enrich TE p. 409 B  See “Fish Measurement” link in GCG Lesson Ideas.

Literature for your Classroom Library LinkLink to book on youtube.