How Do You Measure Up?

Estimation and Measurement

How Do You Measure Up?

You can't believe it. You've just kicked your soccer ball farther than ever before. You can't wait to tell your friends how far it went. But hold on — you don't have anything to measure with. Or do you?
Search your pockets, look around. A stick of chewing gum, a shoelace, even a cartwheel can all be units of measurement. A unit of measurement helps you answer questions like, "How tall?" "How far?" "How heavy?"
Use something you have to measure with. Then you can tell your friends that you kicked the ball 30 shoelaces or 10 cartwheels.

What to Do:

1. Measure someone's height. Pick a unit you could use. (Don't use a ruler!)

My unit:

2. Measure a friend's height with your unit.

How many units tall is your friend?

3. Can you use your unit to measure the length of a pencil? Or do you need to use a new unit? Measure the pencil.

What was your unit?

How many units long is the pencil?

4. Use one of your units or pick a new unit to measure the distance across your classroom.

What was your unit?

How many units across is the classroom?

BRAIN POWER

1. What else could you measure with each of your units?

2. Some of the units we measure with today came from everyday life.

An inch came from the width of a person's thumb.

A foot came from the length of a person's foot.

A yard was the distance from the nose to the longest fingertip on one outstretched arm.

A mile was the length of 2,000 of a soldier's steps.

3. What problems might those original units have caused? Why do you think rulers with standard measurements are used today?