Today my 4-year-old classroom practiced measuring with non-standard units. I had 6in pieces of strings, hot wheels, and pencils for them to use as their measuring tools. They could measure anything in the classroom and then they would record their answers with the units of measure they were using (i.e. the desk was 7 pieces of string).
I gave them an opportunity to use all units of measurement, but then I began to ask questions like "how can you compare the measurement of the desk and the paper since you used string for the desk and hot wheels for the paper?" After a lot of questions from me and discussion by them, they came to the conclusion that you had to measure with the same item to compare the lengths.
Although my students seemed to enjoy this activity and eventually learned that you have to measure with the same unit to be able to compare sizes, I wish I would have introduced measurement with just one unit and moved onto this later. Some students were still struggling with the fact that they needed to use the same unit to compare objects, and I think if I would have introduced just one unit to measure with first, these students would not have struggled as much.
The students loved recording their work and comparing the different items. I think it would be beneficial to do this activity again so the students become familiar with measuring and are able to make more observations and connections.
*This lesson was not actually preformed, it is an example of what a teacher could use a blog for. They could even add standards in!
I gave them an opportunity to use all units of measurement, but then I began to ask questions like "how can you compare the measurement of the desk and the paper since you used string for the desk and hot wheels for the paper?" After a lot of questions from me and discussion by them, they came to the conclusion that you had to measure with the same item to compare the lengths.
Although my students seemed to enjoy this activity and eventually learned that you have to measure with the same unit to be able to compare sizes, I wish I would have introduced measurement with just one unit and moved onto this later. Some students were still struggling with the fact that they needed to use the same unit to compare objects, and I think if I would have introduced just one unit to measure with first, these students would not have struggled as much.
The students loved recording their work and comparing the different items. I think it would be beneficial to do this activity again so the students become familiar with measuring and are able to make more observations and connections.
*This lesson was not actually preformed, it is an example of what a teacher could use a blog for. They could even add standards in!
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