Welcome to the Breaking Down the Standards Series. In this post, we will cover the teaching of Nonstandard Units of Measurement in first grade. This can mean using units such as Unifix cubes or paper clips to measure an object. Linear measurement is the measurement of length. Length is one of the 3 dimensions of three-dimensional figures. Since basically everything is three-dimensional, this is an important lesson and can later be tied to 3-d shapes.
Linear Measurement in the First Grade Classroom
Teaching kids to measure with a ruler or nonstandard units is very hands on and fun for kids. You’ll need some supplies to help your students be successful.
Nonstandard Linear Measurement
- Unifix Cubes or Snap Cubes
- Paper Clips
- Base Ten Units
- Beans
- Counting Bears
- Legos
- Feet
- Hands
Standard Linear Measurement
- Ruler
- Tape Measure
- Yard/Meter Stick
- 1 inch tiles
First Grade Linear Measurement Standards:
First Grade
Common Core
- 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.
- Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
TEKS
- Use measuring tools to measure the length of objects to reinforce the continuous nature of
linear measurement. - Illustrate that the length of an object is the number of same-size units of length that, when
laid end-to-end with no gaps or overlaps, reach from one end of the object to the other. - Measure the same object/distance with units of two different lengths and describe how
and why the measurements differ. - Describe a length to the nearest whole unit using a number and a unit.
The Vertical Alignment:
When introducing Linear Measurement, it’s important to know what the student already knows and what they should know when they leave first grade. The TEKS and Common Core Standards differ slightly but have one common goal; to teach students to measure accurately and estimate the length of objects.
Kindergarten:
Common Core
- Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
- Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/“less of” the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
TEKS
- Give an example of a measurable attribute of a given object, including length, capacity,
and weight. - Compare two objects with a common measurable attribute to see which object has more
of/less of the attribute and describe the difference.
First Grade:
Common Core
- 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.
- Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
TEKS
- Use measuring tools to measure the length of objects to reinforce the continuous nature of
linear measurement. - Illustrate that the length of an object is the number of same-size units of length that, when
laid end-to-end with no gaps or overlaps, reach from one end of the object to the other. - Measure the same object/distance with units of two different lengths and describe how
and why the measurements differ. - Describe a length to the nearest whole unit using a number and a unit.
Second Grade:
Common Core
- Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- Measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
- Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard-length unit.
TEKS
- Find the length of objects using concrete models for standard units of length.
- Describe the inverse relationship between the size of the unit and the number of units needed to equal the length of an object.
- Determine the length of an object to the nearest marked unit using rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, or measuring tapes.
- Determine a solution to a problem involving length, including estimating lengths.
The Breakdown:
Teaching Linear Measurement using Standard and Nonstandard tool in first grade will be a lot of fun for kids! Grab some nonstandard tools such as beans, cubes, fingers or toes. Then you can move on to rulers and yard sticks. (You’ll definitely need some special rules when using these to avoid helicopters in your classroom 😜 )
When first graders leave first grade, they should understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units, (such as an inch or a cube) that span it with no gaps or overlaps. This skill requires lots of hands-on measuring with nonstandard and standard units of measurement. It will also require a set of classroom objects to be measured and objects with which to measure the classroom objects.
Disclosure: Carrie Lutz is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a small commission on products purchased through Amazon.com and other affiliated websites. You do not pay more when purchasing products through these links.
Classroom Objects to Measure
Students can measure any of the objects below using Standard and Nonstandard units.
- Desktop
- iPad
- school Box
- Textbook
- Workbook
- Library Book
- New Pencil
- Crayon
- Marker
- Hand
- Foot
- Shoe
- Another Student
Nonstandard Units from the Classroom
Students can measure the items above using these items.
- Cubes
- Tiles
- Beans
- Coins
- Paper Clips
- 2 Sided Counters
- Teddy Bear Counters
- Base Ten Blocks
- A Foot
- A Hand
- Crayons
- Cap Erasers
- Marker Caps
Standard Units of Measurement
- Rulers
- One Inch Tiles
- One Inch Cubes
- Yard Sticks
- Meter Sticks
- Measuring Tapes
The Progression: Easiest to Hardest
This is just my opinion. Choose the progression based on the needs of your class.
- Lining up the end with the unit of measure. Students must be taught HOW TO MEASURE before they can successfully and accurately measure an object. This should be modeled and practiced before beginning to measure items.
- Use Nonstandard units to measure classroom items with enough units to span the length of the item being measured. Example: How many cubes long is the textbook? Students will have enough cubes to span the length of the textbook and count how many were used.
- Use Nonstandard units to measure classroom items with only one unit. Example: How many cubes long is the textbook? Students will use their finger as a place holder as they move the cube each time until they’ve reached the end of the book. This takes concentration as they must keep up with the number of units as they go.
- Use Standard Units such as a ruler or one inch tile to measure classroom items.
- Comparing the length of two items by asking which is longer or shorter (Concrete) You could use subtraction to find the difference.
- Estimating the length of items. How many cubes long do you think the shoe is? I think the shoe is 8 cubes long. (Abstract) Students would them measure to see if they were correct.
Note: Because not many measurements will be the exact end a unit of measure, you’ll need to come up with a classroom rule for rounding the number. For instance, if the nonstandard unit is hanging off of the object being measured, count it as one unit. Or you could do the opposite. If the nonstandard unit is hanging off, don’t count it at all. In this way, everyone should get the same number when measuring the same object with the same item.
Understanding the Importance of Linear Measurement, Comparing and Estimating Length
Being able to measure accurately is a life skill and will be used throughout the adult life. While it’s not probable to think that what the student learns about measurement in the first grade will be remembered in adulthood, it is building a foundation for the first grader.
Mini-Lesson Idea for Linear Measurement in the First Grade Classroom
As you begin, be sure to discuss How to Measure, modeling how to line up the ends and not start just anywhere. You could pretend you are measuring an item and allow the students to correct your error as you measure without lining up your unit of measure with the item you’re measuring. Next, have them guide you to measuring correctly. This will grab their attention and they will remember this skill and measure confidently.
Mini Lesson Read Aloud
A great way to kick of your unit on linear measurement is this fun read aloud by Rolf Myller.
Follow the story about the King who wants to give the Queen something special for her birthday. The Queen has everything, everything except a bed. The bed must be just the right size for the queen, but they have no standard unit of measurement. So… no one in the Kingdom knows the answer to a very important question: How Big is a Bed? because beds at the time had not yet been invented. The Queen’s birthday is only a few days away.
How can they figure out what size the bed should be? How can the people figure out how to measure? Readers will learn it’s not that difficult and that everyone can learn to do it.
Teaching Linear Measurement with Nonstandard Units of Measure
Now that you’ve modeled how to measure correctly, you know they are dying to do some measuring themselves. Grab some math manipulatives like the ones listed above and have them measure things like a new pencil, a notebook, workbook library book etc. Allow your students to measure these items and record the measurements in their math notebooks or dry erase board.
Using Nonstandard Rulers to Teach Measuring, Comparing and Estimating
Nonstandard Linear Measuring
Much easier to pull out of your arsenal of manipulatives is nonstandard rulers. You can use a colored laminated set or black and white version that can be tossed after use. Kids can use these just as they would use cubes, paper clips or counters. Actually, they are probably easier to use because they don’t have to accurately line up objects, but they will need the rounding rule so they can all get the same answer.
Comparing Length – First Grade Nonstandard Measurement
To further develop students’ understanding of linear measurement, have students compare the length of two objects. It is easy to answer the question “Which is longer?” or “Which is shorter?” But the more difficult question is “How much longer?” or “How much shorter?” There are different ways to get the answer to these questions, but I like to teach my students to subtract to find the difference. In this way, you are adding another valuable skill to your math lessons. A skill that can’t be practiced enough. It is also higher order thinking when using subtraction to compare to objects. Once students understand how subtractions relates to comparing, other skills will come easier to them.
As stated in the objective, you’ll also want them to compare length which used two different units of measure and discuss their findings. For instance, measure the same object with small paper clips and large paper clips. Which used more paper clip and why?
Estimating Length – First Grade Nonstandard Measurement
Before your students can estimate length, they must have a great sense of the unit of measure that they are using. If they are using a paper clip, they need to be able to estimate the length of the paper clip itself.
Grab this First Grade Monster Measurement Freebie to start practicing!
Check out this Brand-New Resource and a FREEBIE just for you!
First Grade Nonstandard Measurement Learning Centers / Small Group Instruction
In the small group setting, you’ll want to teach your students how to measure items properly. They’ll need to line up the item that they are measuring with the item that is being measured. They will also need to keep the units of measurement straight and not overlap them in order to have an accurate measurement.
Check out these products for Small Group and Learning Center activities for Nonstandard Measurement.
Learning Centers for Nonstandard Measurement
Once you’ve worked with your small group and they understand how to measure properly using nonstandard units, they can begin practicing in learning centers.
Lay out some nonstandard units such as cubes, tiles, paper clips or anything you deem appropriate. Add some items to be measured and let them go! They will have a blast while they are learning.
These resources would be perfect Learning Centers.
Making First Grade Measurement Fun
Just the very nature of nonstandard measurement in first grade is fun! Your students will love the hands on element but when that isn’t convenient, try using Boom Cards.
They are no prep, self checking, digital and interactive!
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