Unit of Study/Theme Lesson is situated in:
This unit will introduce the students to nonstandard and standard units of measurement. Students will use different objects to measure such as counting candy corn, paperclips, m&ms, raw pasta, etc. to identify nonstandard units of measurement. They also will be introduced to inches. The lesson will include a literature connection (Stellaluna), realistic connections, discussion exploration, and assessment.
Goal of Lesson (Common Core State Standards/Division of Early Childhood where appropriate)
Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1
Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.2
Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
Objectives:
Students will:
• Use nonstandard and standard units to measure.
• Measure with multiple units of different sizes laid end to end.
• Use repetition of a single unit to measure something larger than the unit.
• Use materials such as paperclips, candy corn, raw pasta, m&ms as tools of measure
The academic language my students will use is practiced vocabulary appropriate for the activity. Examples: measure, ruler, inches, sum, length, width, height
Pre-Assessment
Prior to this lesson, students and teacher will engage in discussion about Stellaluna. Stellaluna is a bat who thinks she is a bird. Teacher will ask questions like, “what physical characteristics make Stellaluna and the birds alike?” (size, wings) and “how can we know if a bat and a bird are actually the same size?” (measurement) Teacher will discuss the importance of measurement with students. For example, shoe size is important when purchasing a pair of shoes, height is important to determine if we are growing. Finally, teacher will ask, “what tools can we use to measure our foot?” (ruler) Teacher will record answers on chart paper.
Post-Assessment
Teacher will circulate and take anecdotal notes of the students who are completing the task with ease and those who are have difficulty.Teacher and assistants will look for accuracy in worksheet responses and make sure the students are utilizing the materials in their center to measure their bat.
Teacher will check to see that students are utilizing the materials accurately for measurement.
Materials
Rulers, chart paper, paperclips, m&ms, candycorn, raw pasta, worksheet with printed bat (12 inches wing span) with questions:
My bat is:
____ candy corns wide (with image)
____ m&ms wide (with image)
____ paperclips wide (with image)
____ bowtie pasta noodles wide (with image)
____ inches wide (with image)
Use of Technology
Technology will be used to play music during center transitions.
Differentiation:
Gifted students and those who complete their task quickly will be asked to also provide the height of their bat using the materials provided.
Students with difficulty counting and struggle with their pincer grasp may use a strip of printed-paper with images of the materials used for counting. Students will receive worksheet with a thick black line across the bat for extra instruction on where to place their measurement units.
Students with difficulty in these activities may receive a completed bat with glued strip of paper with images of paperclips or candy corn and count the quantity.
Seating Configuration/Use of Physical Space:
Students will begin the lesson by sitting in their designated spots on the rug. Teacher will begin with the group activity introducing the lesson on the rug. The teacher will explain how each center has materials in bowls. Instructions: Utilize the materials at your table to measure your bat and answer the questions on your worksheet. When you hear the bell, you will have 1 minute to clean up and place the materials back in their bowls. When the music plays, you will stand up, push in your chair and switch to your next center. The students will be assigned to groups of 3 or 4 per table. Table one will be 4 desks with paper clips and rulers, table 2 will be 4 desks with m&ms and candy corn, and table 3 will be 4 desks with raw pasta noodles ( 2 different types/sizes)
Teaching roles and collaboration:
Teachers and paraprofessionals will circulate the room and assist students as needed. Observe what each student is doing. Make sure they are following the rules of measurement. Teacher will engage students’ in-group discussions and write responses on the board. Teachers will call on specific students based on differentiated abilities.
Classroom Management:
Students will spend 5 minutes at each center. 1 minute will be allotted for cleanup and 1 minute for transition time. Students will be asked to begin cleaning up when they hear the teacher’s bell. Transition time will begin when the teacher plays the music. For positive reinforcement, students will receive a punch card with 6 images of bats with fun and happy facial expressions. They will receive a hole-punch for every positively exhibited behavior throughout their assignment. Those who complete the day with all 6 hole-punches are able to choose a surprise out of the treasure box. Transitioning from one center to the other will consist of the students being instructed to count their steps from one activity to the next.
Engagement of students/anticipatory set/Motivation:
Teacher will call on 3 volunteers to come up to the front of the classroom. The teacher will ask one student to stand with his arms by his sides. Then, the other 2 students will be asked to help each other stack books next to (at a safe distance) their friend who is standing nicely. The teacher will ask a 4th volunteer to come up and count the number of books in height our friend is. The teacher will explain how this is not a necessarily accurate measurement because the books are not all the exact same size. Then, the teacher will ask, what other unit of measurement could we use to see how tall our friend is? Other volunteers will come up to measure their peer with a measuring tape. The response will be recorded on chart paper.
Connection to Previous lesson/Prior Knowledge:
Students will connect this lesson to the prior lessons where they learned about measurement using big units. Students used their feet to measure how many steps it took (heel to toe) from their desk to an instructed point in the classroom. The teacher discussed how the students did not all have the same answers and why or why not. In this previous lesson, they discussed if the size of their feet mattered in measurement. Will smaller feet need to take more steps or fewer steps? How about bigger feet? The current lesson will measure objects using smaller units.
Lesson Presentation:
Estimated Time: 5 mins
Introduce the rules of measurement:
1. nonstandard items need to touch (provide examples: paperclips, food, pennies, q-tips etc)
2. measure from end to end
3. measure in a straight line
Start measuring objects using nonstandard units of measurement. Objects to measure:
-desk
-pencil
Use the following items to measure:
-m&ms
-candy corn
-paperclips
-raw pasta noodles
-visual cut out strips of images of multiple candy corn, paperclips, m&ms and raw pasta noodles
Guided Practice/Active Involvement/Small group work/Independent Practice:
Estimated Time: 45 mins
Guided Practice:
Teacher will model measuring her own bat on the board using a ruler. Teacher will also have volunteers measure their peer using books.
Active Involvement/Independent Practice/Small group work:
Students will be divided into groups of 3 to measure the “wingspan” of one peer. The chosen student will hold out their arms wide and the other 2 group members will measure their peer from one end of their hand to the other hand in inches with a measuring tape. Students will share out. Teacher assistants and paraprofessionals will be assigned to a group to ensure safety and that directions are being followed.
Independent Practice:
Students will sit at their centers and follow instructions to fill out their work sheets utilizing the materials on their activity table. Students will transition to the next table with their worksheet.
Final Summary/Closure:
Estimated Time: 10 mins
In groups of 3, have students write a rap, rhyme or jingle to describe what they learned and/or draw a picture to show what they did in class today. Have groups share out.
After the lesson, have students share what they learned from the lesson. Next, have students share what they found interesting and that they’d like to learn more about. Last, have students ask questions they have about the activity.
If there is extra time, direct all the students stand up and arrange themselves in order by height. Give them time to sort this out for themselves. This will lead to the extension activity.
Extension:
Teacher will put chart paper on the walls (1 per student). Students will pair up with a buddy and take turns marking a line at the top of their heads. One student will measure the length of a pre-cut and laminated mango utilizing a ruler. Students will measure how many mangos they are in height. Teacher will measure one mango with a ruler and share with the class how many inches it is in length. They can use this information to make a conversion in future lessons after scaffolding activities introducing converting measurement units.
This will be an independent assignment as they measure their own height with the raw spaghetti noodle and record it on their chart paper.
Teacher will write:
I am ____ mangos tall
This unit will introduce the students to nonstandard and standard units of measurement. Students will use different objects to measure such as counting candy corn, paperclips, m&ms, raw pasta, etc. to identify nonstandard units of measurement. They also will be introduced to inches. The lesson will include a literature connection (Stellaluna), realistic connections, discussion exploration, and assessment.
Goal of Lesson (Common Core State Standards/Division of Early Childhood where appropriate)
Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1
Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.2
Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.
Objectives:
Students will:
• Use nonstandard and standard units to measure.
• Measure with multiple units of different sizes laid end to end.
• Use repetition of a single unit to measure something larger than the unit.
• Use materials such as paperclips, candy corn, raw pasta, m&ms as tools of measure
The academic language my students will use is practiced vocabulary appropriate for the activity. Examples: measure, ruler, inches, sum, length, width, height
Pre-Assessment
Prior to this lesson, students and teacher will engage in discussion about Stellaluna. Stellaluna is a bat who thinks she is a bird. Teacher will ask questions like, “what physical characteristics make Stellaluna and the birds alike?” (size, wings) and “how can we know if a bat and a bird are actually the same size?” (measurement) Teacher will discuss the importance of measurement with students. For example, shoe size is important when purchasing a pair of shoes, height is important to determine if we are growing. Finally, teacher will ask, “what tools can we use to measure our foot?” (ruler) Teacher will record answers on chart paper.
Post-Assessment
Teacher will circulate and take anecdotal notes of the students who are completing the task with ease and those who are have difficulty.Teacher and assistants will look for accuracy in worksheet responses and make sure the students are utilizing the materials in their center to measure their bat.
Teacher will check to see that students are utilizing the materials accurately for measurement.
Materials
Rulers, chart paper, paperclips, m&ms, candycorn, raw pasta, worksheet with printed bat (12 inches wing span) with questions:
My bat is:
____ candy corns wide (with image)
____ m&ms wide (with image)
____ paperclips wide (with image)
____ bowtie pasta noodles wide (with image)
____ inches wide (with image)
Use of Technology
Technology will be used to play music during center transitions.
Differentiation:
Gifted students and those who complete their task quickly will be asked to also provide the height of their bat using the materials provided.
Students with difficulty counting and struggle with their pincer grasp may use a strip of printed-paper with images of the materials used for counting. Students will receive worksheet with a thick black line across the bat for extra instruction on where to place their measurement units.
Students with difficulty in these activities may receive a completed bat with glued strip of paper with images of paperclips or candy corn and count the quantity.
Seating Configuration/Use of Physical Space:
Students will begin the lesson by sitting in their designated spots on the rug. Teacher will begin with the group activity introducing the lesson on the rug. The teacher will explain how each center has materials in bowls. Instructions: Utilize the materials at your table to measure your bat and answer the questions on your worksheet. When you hear the bell, you will have 1 minute to clean up and place the materials back in their bowls. When the music plays, you will stand up, push in your chair and switch to your next center. The students will be assigned to groups of 3 or 4 per table. Table one will be 4 desks with paper clips and rulers, table 2 will be 4 desks with m&ms and candy corn, and table 3 will be 4 desks with raw pasta noodles ( 2 different types/sizes)
Teaching roles and collaboration:
Teachers and paraprofessionals will circulate the room and assist students as needed. Observe what each student is doing. Make sure they are following the rules of measurement. Teacher will engage students’ in-group discussions and write responses on the board. Teachers will call on specific students based on differentiated abilities.
Classroom Management:
Students will spend 5 minutes at each center. 1 minute will be allotted for cleanup and 1 minute for transition time. Students will be asked to begin cleaning up when they hear the teacher’s bell. Transition time will begin when the teacher plays the music. For positive reinforcement, students will receive a punch card with 6 images of bats with fun and happy facial expressions. They will receive a hole-punch for every positively exhibited behavior throughout their assignment. Those who complete the day with all 6 hole-punches are able to choose a surprise out of the treasure box. Transitioning from one center to the other will consist of the students being instructed to count their steps from one activity to the next.
Engagement of students/anticipatory set/Motivation:
Teacher will call on 3 volunteers to come up to the front of the classroom. The teacher will ask one student to stand with his arms by his sides. Then, the other 2 students will be asked to help each other stack books next to (at a safe distance) their friend who is standing nicely. The teacher will ask a 4th volunteer to come up and count the number of books in height our friend is. The teacher will explain how this is not a necessarily accurate measurement because the books are not all the exact same size. Then, the teacher will ask, what other unit of measurement could we use to see how tall our friend is? Other volunteers will come up to measure their peer with a measuring tape. The response will be recorded on chart paper.
Connection to Previous lesson/Prior Knowledge:
Students will connect this lesson to the prior lessons where they learned about measurement using big units. Students used their feet to measure how many steps it took (heel to toe) from their desk to an instructed point in the classroom. The teacher discussed how the students did not all have the same answers and why or why not. In this previous lesson, they discussed if the size of their feet mattered in measurement. Will smaller feet need to take more steps or fewer steps? How about bigger feet? The current lesson will measure objects using smaller units.
Lesson Presentation:
Estimated Time: 5 mins
Introduce the rules of measurement:
1. nonstandard items need to touch (provide examples: paperclips, food, pennies, q-tips etc)
2. measure from end to end
3. measure in a straight line
Start measuring objects using nonstandard units of measurement. Objects to measure:
-desk
-pencil
Use the following items to measure:
-m&ms
-candy corn
-paperclips
-raw pasta noodles
-visual cut out strips of images of multiple candy corn, paperclips, m&ms and raw pasta noodles
Guided Practice/Active Involvement/Small group work/Independent Practice:
Estimated Time: 45 mins
Guided Practice:
Teacher will model measuring her own bat on the board using a ruler. Teacher will also have volunteers measure their peer using books.
Active Involvement/Independent Practice/Small group work:
Students will be divided into groups of 3 to measure the “wingspan” of one peer. The chosen student will hold out their arms wide and the other 2 group members will measure their peer from one end of their hand to the other hand in inches with a measuring tape. Students will share out. Teacher assistants and paraprofessionals will be assigned to a group to ensure safety and that directions are being followed.
Independent Practice:
Students will sit at their centers and follow instructions to fill out their work sheets utilizing the materials on their activity table. Students will transition to the next table with their worksheet.
Final Summary/Closure:
Estimated Time: 10 mins
In groups of 3, have students write a rap, rhyme or jingle to describe what they learned and/or draw a picture to show what they did in class today. Have groups share out.
After the lesson, have students share what they learned from the lesson. Next, have students share what they found interesting and that they’d like to learn more about. Last, have students ask questions they have about the activity.
If there is extra time, direct all the students stand up and arrange themselves in order by height. Give them time to sort this out for themselves. This will lead to the extension activity.
Extension:
Teacher will put chart paper on the walls (1 per student). Students will pair up with a buddy and take turns marking a line at the top of their heads. One student will measure the length of a pre-cut and laminated mango utilizing a ruler. Students will measure how many mangos they are in height. Teacher will measure one mango with a ruler and share with the class how many inches it is in length. They can use this information to make a conversion in future lessons after scaffolding activities introducing converting measurement units.
This will be an independent assignment as they measure their own height with the raw spaghetti noodle and record it on their chart paper.
Teacher will write:
I am ____ mangos tall