Student: "How many inches are in a cup?"
Mrs. S: "Oh, dear. Well, let's review length and capacity and find out!"
Surprisingly, this is a real question posed to me by one of my fourth graders. Students lack the experience necessary to grasp measurement concepts, especially capacity.
I have a class of 22 bright 4th graders in a building that serves 3-5.
80% of our students qualify for free/reduced meals. Students may come from low-income homes, but that does not change the high expectations I have for them, their parents have for them, or that they have for themselves! Our school district is relatively new and has grown leaps and bounds in the last 10 years. Our test scores continue to improve year after year, and we are not about to stop now!
My Project
One goal is that I want my students to have real-life examples of cups and pints, and use them to create larger units such as quarts and gallons! These materials will be used in whole-group math lessons, as well as math centers inside and outside all year long. We want to explore all aspects of measurement including length, height, and capacity using these resources from Lakeshore Learning.
The Hands-On Measurement Centers include task cards that students will record their answers to as they work for accountability. They will use the liquid measuring containers, rulers, and even a scale to measure various objects.
The Liquid Measurement Kit includes even more tools used for measuring in familiar forms including measuring cups and measuring spoons, like you use at home for cooking.
The Compare & Learn Volume Measurement Kit provides another form of assessment for this unit. After using the hands-on kits, this center allows students to use picture tiles to compare and convert units.
This project will make a huge difference not just in my student's ability to grasp measurement concepts, but it will make a difference in their fourth grade year!
Measurement is a huge hurdle that my students must overcome before moving on to 5th grade. This topic is covered for several weeks, so these resources will really help me as the teacher to vary how I teach measurement and will help students to see measurement used in a variety of hands-on ways!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Swaringim and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
