Merry Measuring!

We have been having fun in our class using our measurement skills.  By the end of Grade 2, students should be able to estimate and measure length, height, and distance, using standard units (i.e., centimetres, metres) and non-standard units (ie. link its, blocks, buttons).  Students also should be able to record and represent measurements of length, height and distance in a variety of ways.

First, we reviewed the important steps to measuring:

1.  Place the first unit of measurement at the edge of the object.
2.  Place the next unit of measurement beside the first unit without any space between and without overlapping.
3.  Continue laying units of measurement until you reach the end of the object being measured.
4.  Count how many units long the object being measured is.

Next, we used a variety of materials to measure.
Students soon discovered that standard tools (rulers with centimeters marked) were faster and easier to use and that that everyone got the same measurement.

We compared and ordered objects by length using nonstandard units and practiced making statements of comparison. We also discussed the importance of choosing the right measuring tool for a measuring job. We learned "small objects can be measured with small tools, but you should choose bigger tools if you are measuring something big or it just ends up taking too long to measure it and it is too many to count."

Marvelous measuring Grade 2!