MATHEMATICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE -
Measurement is a process that shows how much there is of something, but prior to this, there
are considerations that include which attributes will be measured, what objects (non-standard)
or standard tool will be used to measure it, and which unit of measure will be used. Finally, the
measurement will be taken, which is the distance between two endpoints. When measuring,
estimation skills will become helpful, as well as ensuring there is comparative language,
repeated units of measure, and no gaps or overlaps. Measurement concepts include geometric
or spatial measure such as length, area, volume and capacity. It also includes physical attributes
such as mass, weight, time and money. Units of measurement include everyday units, non-
standard units and standard units. Measurement is important to teach and learn as it provides
many life applications, transfers to other mathematical topics, transfers to other curriculum areas,
requires active learning, and flows from problem solving.
Common misconceptions:
Mass poses particular problems for some students as they confuse it with volume, size or
quantity. A common misconception is that the bigger the size of an object, the greater the mass.
This occurs when judgement is made based on sight rather than on feel (which is a transfer from
learning about length).
For example -
Students might think a tennis ball is heavier than a gold ball because it is larger.
Students may think that 5 ping-pong balls weigh more than a basketball because there are
more of them.
Other misconceptions include:
Measuring from the wrong end of the ruler or beginning at 1 rather than 0, counting the hash
marks rather than the space (units), not aligning two objects when comparing them
PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE -
Strategies in teaching measurement can include the ‘sequence of experiences.’
Step 1, students make comparisons E.g. which object is heavier/lighter? taller/shorter?
Step 2, students use models of measuring units E.g. use physical models to fill, cover,
match or make the desired comparison of the attribute with the unit (paper clips or pieces
of string)
Step 3, students use measuring instruments E.g. use these in comparison to actual unit
models to see how the measurement tool performs the same function as the individual units
Reference: (Van et al., 2015)
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Activity - What’s the Length?
Year Level - 2
Classroom Context -
For students who may speak English as a second language (ESL) in the classroom, ensure
to make each instruction visual. Write instructions on the board, use diagrams, model the steps
of a process and give further assistance to them during individual working time. Build in more
group work to ensure ESL students are practicing the English language and socially engaging
with their peers.
Content Descriptor -
Measure, order and compare objects using familiar metric units of length, mass and capacity
Learning Objectives -
Students will be able to estimate and measure lengths using centimetres and metres
Resources -
Key Mathematical Language:
Units, length, centimetres (cm), metres (m), width, measurement, estimation
Materials:
Metre rulers, centimetre rulers, measurement recording sheet, everyday objects in the classroom
Prior Knowledge -
Identifies the attribute of length (using gestures)
Identifies the longest object using direct comparison
Compares the length of two objects by aligning the ends
Uses everyday language to describe attributes that can be measured
Compares objects and explains how they have been ordered using comparative
language (shorter, longer, lighter, heavier)
Using informal units of measurement
Instructions -
- Show the class a 30cm ruler and a 1 metre ruler, discuss and question the students asking them what they think each one can be used for. Ensure students know that there is 100 cm in a metre.
- Explain that they will be measuring the length of different objects. Show the students what they must do to correctly measure length with these rulers
- Explain to students how to estimate the length of an object - E.g. Is my coffee mug more likely to be 10 centimetres or 10 metres? Explain that an estimation is an educated guess
- Walk around the classroom to demonstrate by measuring different objects with both the centimetre ruler (e.g. pencils, books) and the metre ruler (e.g. one side of the classroom floor)
- Give all students a recording sheet for measuring, where they must look at the object they need to measure the length of, make an estimation, measure it, and record all their details in the sheet
- Make each student have a partner to work with as they walk around the classroom/outside the room to measure objects
- To close the activity, gather all pairs back into the room to share their measurements (as some may not get to measure all of them) and share any items they found difficult to measure or if they were unsure of which sized ruler to use
- Explain that certain objects can be measured in both centimetres and metres (E.g. desk)
Questions to ask -
Is 1 centimetre or 1 metre longer?
Should you measure this object in centimetres or metres?
What is the best way to measure this object?
How did you find out the length of this?
What is your estimation of the length of this object?
How many centimetres are there in a metre?
Enabling Prompts -
Have students measure 5 objects of the list rather than 10 OR allow students to begin
with informal units such as fingers or string. Once confident, move towards using rulers.
Extending Prompts -
Challenge students with larger measurement tasks - e.g. measure the length of our
entire classroom.
Images -
A 30cm ruler that students would use to measure smaller items with.
A metre ruler to measure larger items with.
The worksheet that students must fill out by measuring the correct objects.
Reflection -
In week 9, our focus topic was on promoting conceptual understanding of measurement concepts and relationships. For students to become proficient with measurement, they must
experience a variety of measuring tools. Such experiences should be in contexts that are
meaningful to students and give them a sense of accomplishment and appreciation of the
usefulness of measurement. Measurement is significantly connected to other concepts in
mathematics and with other key learning areas. Examples of real-world contexts in relation
to measurement skills include using thermometers, scales, and measurement tools to measure
how tall we are, how hot we are, how heavy we are, etc. In the above activity, the students were
given the opportunity to measure everyday items around the classroom to experience the
importance of measurement in everyday life. I hope I get to plan practical and useful
measurement activities like this one in my future classroom.
References -
Van, D. W. J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2015). Elementary and middle
school mathematics: teaching developmentally, global edition. Retrieved from
