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Lesson

1st Grade Math - Developing Student Understanding of Non-Standard and Standard Measurement

Clip 13/17: Measurement Lesson Part E1

Overview

In the next part of her lesson engaging first-grade students in non-standard measurement, Tracy Sola introduces the “Problem of the Month: Measuring Mammals.” 

“Measuring Mammals” has a picture of three giraffes that are small, medium, and large. Tracy asks the students to recall the different parts of the lesson that they have completed thus far.

Teacher Commentary

I didn’t want to give them multiple cubes to make it easy and make a train. I just gave them one cube to see what would happen and if they could use iterative measurements to measure the height of that giraffe.

I was interested to see how they kept track. I gave them pencils to see if they’d use pencil markings – how would they know, if the idea of gaps came up again, how would they use that here in this iterative measurement piece? 

Then, the students checked their result with more cubes, and if the results didn't match, I suggested they think about why that was happening so they could think about, really, what measurement means.

Materials & Artifacts