Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 4, “Encounters with Measurement” (1st-2nd)
Hello SAVY Families,
Thursday brought new learning, discovery, and creativity to our SAVY Session Five: Encounters with Measurement. I could not be prouder of the mathematicians’ hard work today!
To start our day, we continued working with liquid volume and capacity. Then, a scenario was proposed where students had to plan how to make “Yummy Yeti Lemonade” for a class of 30 mathematicians and 6 adults. The SAVY mathematicians figured out that we would need 72 cups of lemonade for everyone to have enough lemonade to drink. Then, our class used what we learned about volume and conversion to find multiple ways to make 72 cups of lemonade. We reviewed the definition of conversion and discussed why unit conversion is essential for accurate measurement. After we discussed the most logical approach to solving this problem, we repeated the process, this time for real! We made lemonade in our class, but first, the SAVY mathematicians had to determine the best way to make the lemonade. I was very impressed with how well the mathematicians worked together to determine the most logical way to make 14 cups of lemonade. At the end of the lesson, the SAVY mathematicians were excited to be able to drink what we created. To end our study of volume, the mathematicians became the teachers! Using volume measurements from colonial America, the mathematicians had to write their own volume conversion problem and then trade with a partner to solve it. Volume conversion is very difficult, so I was astonished at how well the SAVY mathematicians grasped this concept!
Before moving on, we engaged in a mini-lesson about standard / imperial units of measurement and metric units of measurement. We sorted terms such as inch, Celsius, meter, and mile to understand which system of measurement they fell under. Then, we watched a video about the history of each of these systems. Finally, we participated in a mini-debate: Should the USA switch and adopt the metric system to match the rest of the world? Some mathematicians had very strong opinions on this issue!
In the afternoon, our final project was presented to the mathematicians. This culminating project will require knowledge from all aspects of our course this week. The biggest part of our project is that students will create a true – to – size Yeti, using their own bodily measurements. We started part of this project on Monday, so the mathematicians were eager to return to their work. The first requirement of the project is deciding which system of measurement to use to create the Yeti, which the SAVY mathematicians did today. Then, many mathematicians were able to start a drawing, to scale, of what their life-size Yeti will look like. I am eager to continue this work tomorrow and to see how the mathematicians demonstrate their thinking during our final project and presentations.
Questions to ask your mathematician:
- What is the story of King Gallon, and how can that help you remember how to convert standard measurements of volume?
- What is volume? How did you use volume to measure out the ingredients for Yummy Yeti lemonade?
- What is the difference between the standard/imperial measurement system and the metric system?
- In your opinion, should the USA change to the metric system or stay in the standard / imperial system?
- What measurement system are you using for your life-sized Yeti?
I am looking forward to one more day of discovery and learning at SAVY Session Five: Encounters with Measurement. Have a great night!
Sincerely,
Ms. Gruchot
