Inch by Inch and Centimeter by Centimeter Extravaganza

Pamela J. Bates-Hines          Ninos Heroes Academy
                               8344 S. Commercial Ave.
                               Chicago IL 60617
                               (312) 535-6694

Objectives: 

Kindergarten-Primary
* Students will be able to measure one inch to a yard.
* Students will be able to measure one centimeter to a meter.
* Students will be able to compare and contrast standard to non-standard
   units of measurement.

Materials Needed:

12 inch rulers
36 inch yard sticks
30 centimeter rulers
meter sticks
measuring tapes/centimeters and inches
graph paper/centimeters
graph paper/inches
finger or tempera paint
string
ditto copies of a 12 inch ruler
ditto copies of a 30 centimeter ruler
paper-made flowers
transparent tape
chalk
poster or bulletin board
colored markers
manipulatives
scissors
glue
candy Twizzlers

Strategy:

Ask questions to enhance metacognition and elicit meaningful responses:
How do we know that the Sears Towers is the tallest building in the city of 
Chicago? 
How do we measure things?

Make two marks approximately 12 feet apart on the floor or ground.
Have students pace, walk, skip, hop (by student choice) from one mark to the 
other. 

Discuss with the students to elicit that we could measure people,
places, and things to determine lengths, width, and height.

Distribute 12 inch rulers.
Distribute copies of a 12 inch ruler.
Have students compare and contrast the paper copy to the actual ruler.
Precut or have able students cut 12 1-inch squares.
Have students align paper square inches above the copied ruler. 
Have students compare and contrast paper square inches to the copied ruler.
Have students recognize that there are 12 inches in a foot.
Have students glue the square inches above the copied ruler.
Then have the students press a thumb in a container of fingerpaint and make 
  thumbprints under the copied ruler. 
Have students compare and contrast how many of their thumbprints it took to 
  equal one foot. 
Have students make the conclusion that this is one foot of thumbprints.

Additional Activities:
AA-1 Distribute copies of 30 centimeter ruler.
Have students compare and contrast centimeter ruler to copied ruler.
Have students compare and contrast centimeters to inches on the ruler and copies 
  of the rulers. 
Have students measure candy Twizzlers and make a record of the length in 
  centimeters. 
AA-2 Have students use rulers to measure four sided geometric objects.
AA-3 Distribute manipulatives to the students.
Have students determine in inches and centimeters how many  manipulatives
  it takes to cover the length of 12 inches and/or 30 centimeters.
AA-4 Predraw or mark lines of different lengths on the ground or floor.
  Group students and have them measure and record lengths.
AA-5 Distribute copies of inch or centimeter graph paper.
  Have students make handprint or footprint on the graph paper.
  Then have students  count the squares of area.
AA-6 Have students form partners.
  Distribute two pieces of string to each group.
  Direct students to measure the length of each other's arm with the string.
  Have students measure the string with 1-inch squares .
  Then have students attach their string to a paper flower with their names
  and lengths on them.

Performance Assessments:

AA-1 Have students tell or write the number of centimeters in the length of 
  the candy.          
AA-2 Have students tell or write the measurements of each side of the
  geometric objects.
AA-3 Have students tell or write how many manipulatives they had to use
  to measure 12 in. and or cm.
AA-4 Have students tell or write how many in. or cm. the lines measured.
AA-5 Have students record the number of in. or cm. in the lengths of their 
  hand or foot.
AA-6 Make a board displaying the students' flowers showing in. and cm. scales.
  Have students graph 5 students' flower measurements on a pictograph.