Today, we explored the fundamentals of accurate measurement! We created straw paths with twists and turns to see whose path was the longest. We learned about 90-degree angles and how twists and turns can appear to make the length of something look shorter than it really is. We also encountered a crazy swimmer activity where we had to determine which crazy swimmer’s path was the longest. From these activities, we discover that the length of a larger unit may be made up of repeating smaller units (unit iteration). We determined that twists and turns can still be measured. Also, you can measure in segments as long as the segments are the same length.  Sometimes sets of items may look different, but they represent the same amount (equivalence.

We also learned how to measure distance accurately using nonstandard units. Index cards and paper clips were used to measure the length of our desks. We also measured the length of the mock pool using our feet. From this, we discussed our measurement data and explored why the data was different. Different sizes of our feet, leaving spaces between our units, and not measuring in a straight line were some of our mistakes. This discussion reinforced measurement rules, including no gaps, measuring in a straight line, and measuring with units that are the same size. From this activity, we discovered that the length of a larger unit may be made up of repeating smaller units. Students pointed out that the larger the unit of measure, the smaller the number of units needed to measure a particular object. Conversely, the smaller the unit, the larger the number of units is needed to measure the same object (inverse relationship between the size of units and number of units). Using our feet to measure the pool sometimes led to “leftovers,” and we realized that the total length couldn’t be measured with our whole foot. We discussed how sometimes a close approximation of a number is accurate enough (rounding).

After discussing the difficulties in measuring with non-standard units, we read a book called “Length,” which introduced standard units. We looked at rulers and yardsticks to learn about inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters. We re-measured our desks accurately with our standard measurement tools. We found that using a ruler is better for smaller distances and using a yardstick is better for larger distances. We also discussed how the metric system is used worldwide so everyone can communicate about measurement using the same “language.”

In the afternoon, we added more details to our 2D sketches, including a deck, bushes (on 3 sides), and six beach towels (spaced out exactly one toothpick away from each other). Ask your learner which materials they used in their 3D models to represent the deck, bushes, and beach towels!

Tomorrow, we’ll look forward to adding onto our 2D sketches and 3D models!

Here are some dinner table discussion questions:

Have a great evening!

Warmly,

Ms. Courtney and Kat