You are on page 1of 17

Measurement Mary Frances Van Houten FRIT 7737 Click on the Link Below: Measurement Pathfinder

Grade: 3rd Grade Mathematics Teachers: Mrs. Van Houten (Media Specialist) Concept: Purpose:
Mrs. E. Butler (Classroom Teacher) Mrs. Adams (Special Education Teacher) Measurement

The purpose of this lesson is to instruct students on measurement and choosing the appropriate unit and tools. Through creating a digital scrapbook, students will be able to identify and explain measurement using everyday objects. Students will use units to discuss long distances. Students will measure to the nearest inch, inch and millimeter in addition to inch, foot, yard, centimeter, and meter. They will also be able to estimate length and represent it using the appropriate unit of measurement. They will also be able to compare one unit to another within a single system of measurement. They will prove their understanding of these mathematical concepts by producing a digital scrapbook featuring original pictures.

Materials:

SMART Board, laptops with Photo Story 3, headphones with attached microphones, digital cameras, student directions for assignment, assignment rubric, photo story directions, wiki pathfinder, and student self-assessment, group work rubric

Learner Analysis:

This lesson is designed for a 3rd grade math class. This group of 20 students is part of a co-teaching concept. In other words, this class has the regular educational math teacher and the special education teacher both assisting each other during the lesson. Economic Information: The elementary school is considered an economically disadvantaged county. 73% of students receive free or reduced lunch benefits. Out of the students in the learner group, 15 are considered low income, while 5 are from middle class families. Age/Gender: The students range in age from 8 to 9 years of age. One learner is 10 years of age. There are 9 boys and 11 girls. Cultural Background: There are 9 African American students and 10 Caucasian students in this class. There is one Hispanic student. Educational Background: According to the STAR Test conducted at the beginning of the school year, 5 students are reading below grade level. The students were also given a benchmark math CRCT test. Of the twenty students tested, only 3 met expectations, none exceeded, and 17 students did not meet expectations. Special Needs/Accommodations: There are no gifted students in this group of learners. Three students are on medication for ADD and 1 student receives treatment for ADHD. The teacher makes modifications for these students according to their 504 plans.

Specific Entry Skills:


nd

According to the classroom teacher, students worked with measurement in their 2 grade math class, so they will be able to recognize some of the measurement units covered in this lesson. Many of the units however will be new. Students have limited understanding of terms such as kilometer, millimeter, and centimeter. According to

the Gardners Multiple Intelligences inventory that was performed, many of the students are visual learners, so they should relate well to the visual images of measuring.

Learning Styles/Garners Multiple Intelligences:

Two different surveys were administered to these students. One survey was given to them on paper and required that they check the statements that applied to them as a learner or as an individual. This survey determined their learning style based on seven styles identified by Garner. These styles were linguistic, logical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, or intrapersonal. The source for this survey was eMints-Teaching Tips Learning Style Inventory http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000718.shtml Results of Survey: Some students scored high in more than one area of the survey. o Linguistic: 4 o Logical: 7 o Spatial: 12 o Bodily-kinesthetic: 8 o Musical: 4 o Interpersonal: 9 The second learner survey was administered to the students by computer. On this survey, they simply read a series of questions and answered yes or no, depending on whether or not the question applied to them as a learner or as an individual. This survey determined their learning style based on the same seven styles listed on the first survey. The students received their results in the form of a graph. The source for this survey was, Tapping into Multiple Intelligences http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html

Kellers ARCS:
Attention: To capture the audiences attention, students will compete in a relay race. Working in teams of two, students will have to race to measure certain objects. Relevance: The student created digital scrapbook uses everyday objects that are relevant to the lives of the students. Confidence: Students will gain confidence in measuring objects because information will be presented in a logical manner that uses easy language. New terms will be defined and examples of this terminology will be provided. A detailed rubric will be provided to guide students mastering measurement as they gather their pictures and prepare their presentation. Satisfaction: Students will be rewarded for their retention of information by participating in a measurement scavenger hunt. As part of the lesson, students will be guided through the school in groups. As they see objects representing the required measurement, they will take pictures of their object. These pictures will be featured in their digital scrapbooks.

Stage 1 Desired Results


Georgia Performance Standards:
MEASUREMENT Students will understand and measure time and length. They will also model and calculate perimeter and area of simple geometric figures. M3M2. Students will measure length choosing appropriate units and tools. a. Use the units kilometer (km) and mile (mi.) to discuss the measure of long distances. b. Measure to the nearest inch, inch and millimeter (mm) in addition to the previously learned inch, foot, yard, centimeter, and meter. c. Estimate length and represent it using appropriate units. d. Compare one unit to another within a single system of measurement.

Standards for The 21st Century Learner Goals


Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge Skills Indicator: 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. Benchmarks: Use knowledge acquired from 2nd grade mathematic standards as a springboard for new knowledge. Dispositions Indicator: Work independently to use previously acquired to guide new learning. Responsibilities Indicator: N/A Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator: Students ask themselves, Have I successfully connected my understanding of measurement learned last year to knowledge of new measurements and terms? Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. Skills Indicator: 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful. Benchmarks: Work to produce a digital scrapbook using Photo Story 3 that contains 8 slides featuring original pictures that represent measurements learned in class. Dispositions Indicator: Members of the group work with little to no help to produce presentation. Responsibilities Indicator: Works to use technology to organize new information Self-Assessment: Students ask themselves, Have I successfully used technology to organize information? Have I successfully used Photo Story 3 to demonstrate my understanding of measurement? Did I follow the rubric to guide my production of my digital scrapbook? Skills Indicator: 2.3.1: Connect understanding to the real world. Benchmarks: Work to produce a digital scrapbook using Photo Story 3 that contains 8 slides featuring original pictures that represent measurement learned in class. Dispositions Indicator: Members of the group create a product that demonstrates an understanding of how object founds in everyday life can be measured. Responsibilities Indicator: Works to connect understanding to the real world.

Self-Assessment: Students ask themselves: Do my pictures of objects found around my school represent the measurement concepts learned in class?

Understandings:

Students will understand that: We see measureable objects in real-world settings. Technology can be used to organize information. We can work together in a group and follow a rubric to produce a digital scrapbook that demonstrates our understanding of measurement concepts.

Essential Questions: Overarching Questions:


Why is learning measurement important? Will I encounter measurement in my other content areas? Why should I use technology to help organize information?

Topic Essential Questions:


How do we use measurement every day? Why do we use standard units? Why do we need to measure things?

Knowledge and Skills:


Students will know: Length Height Inch, foot, yard, centimeter, meter Measurement tools (ruler, yard stick, meter stick) Estimation Students will be able to: Estimate and measure length and height of objects using nonstandard units. Compare and contrast length and height of objects without measuring. Estimate and measure length and height using inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters. Explain length and height.

Stage 2 Evidence Performance Task:


Goal: Your goal is to be an architect and it is your job to design a house for a family of four. Work as a group to produce a digital scrapbook using Photo Story 3 to present to the homeowners. All of your photographs featured in the scrapbook must be original pictures of objects found around your school and community. Role: You are an architect. Audience: Your audience is a new home owner. (Students in the classroom) Situation: You have been asked to design a house for a family of four people. The family would like the house to be two stories high with a roof, door and four windows. Product/Performance: You need to prepare a design of a home that has two floors, a roof, door and four windows. You should measure and label the length and height of the house using the appropriate tool and measurement. Standards and Criteria for Success: Your design needs to include: Accurate drawing and measurement of a two story house. Measurements are correctly labeled. Key features of the house (two floors, roof, door, four windows) are included in design showing spacial appropriateness. Design is neat and easy to read. Your scrapbook must include a title slide at the beginning and a dedication slide at the end. Your pictures should represent the required measurement elements. You should include audio on your slides to define any terms covered in class.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:


of this assessment to complete at the end of the lesson.

Students will be provided with a copy

Students will be asked to complete the following self-assessment inventory before their movie projects is submitted.

Self-Assessment: Digital Scrapbook Architect: ___________________________


Directions: Please complete the following inventory of your progress in our study of measurement. Please be honest with your answers.
Section I. Use the following scale to rate your understanding of the following. 0 = I do not understand this area at all. 1 = I have a little understanding in this area. 2 = I have a basic understanding of this area. 3 = I understand this area but I would like to know more. 4 = I understand this area very well and am comfortable discussing it. 5 = I consider myself very proficient in this area and could even teach this information to my classmates.

1.

I can recognize and identify measurement learned last year. 0 1 2 3 4 5 I can recognize and identify measurement learned in class this year. 0 1 2 3 4 5 I can identify and define length. 0 1 2 3 I can identify and define height. 0 1 2 3 I can identify and define estimation. 0 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. I understand how to use Photo Story 3 to organize information. 0 1 2 3 4 5 7. I understand how to follow a rubric to meet assignment requirements. 0 1 2 3 4 5

Digital Scrapbook Rubric Group Members: ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ Unacceptable (1 point)
Photographs Less than 5 original photographs are included. The narration does not fit the content of the pictures. There are several instances where the narrator cannot be understood. Introductory slide is missing more than one element.

Acceptable (2 points)
At least 5 original photographs are included. The narration fits the script. There are few instances where the narrator cannot be understood. Introductory slide is missing one element.

Target (3 points)
At least 6 original photographs are included. The narration fits the content of the pictures. The narrator speaks clearly and can be easily heard. Introductory slide features a title and the name of each group member. Able to draw all parts of the house and placed appropriately. All parts are measured correctly All parts are labeled correctly. Closing slide details any sources that were used.

Total

Audio

Introductory Slide

Drawing

Able to draw some parts of the house.

Measurement

Some parts are measured correctly Some parts are labeled correctly. Closing slide is missing more than one element.

Able to draw most parts of the house and placed appropriately. Most parts of measured correctly Most parts are labeled correctly. Closing slide is missing one element.

Labels Closing Slide

______
Total Points

Group Work Rubric


Name: Teacher: Van Houten/E. Date: ______________________ Butler/ Adams _____________________ Skills Criteria Points

1
Helping The teacher observed the student offering assistance to group. Listening The teacher observed student working from the ideas of others. Participating: The teacher observed the student contributing to the project. Persuading: The teacher observed the student exchanging, defending, and rethinking ideas. Questioning: The teacher observed the student interacting, discussing, and posing questions to all members of the team. Respecting: The teacher observed the student encouraging and supporting the ideas and efforts of others. Sharing: The teacher observed the student offering ideas and reporting their findings to each other. Time

2
Time

3
Time

4
Time

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

None of the Some of the Most of the All of the


Time Time Time Time

____

Total Points ____

Teachers Comments:

Stage 3 Where To

Where are your students headed and Why? What is required of them?

Where and Why? Our study of measurement will begin with a review of what units of measurement students learned in the past and why it is important to be able to measure. We will discuss where, besides their math class, students might encounter measurement. What is required of me? Throughout our study of measurement, students will receive several daily grades and one test grade. They will be assessed daily through informal discussions on measurement. Students will also participate in a group project where they work together to produce a digital scrapbook of measurement.

How will the students be hooked and held in this unit?

H
Students will participate in a relay race. Working in teams of two, students will have to race to measure objects.

What activities, instruction, and guidance will be provided to enable and equip students to explore and experience the important ideas in this unit?

Students will be provided with rubrics to guide their participation in the group and overall Photo Story project. Guide students in taking their pictures and in uploading their pictures into Photo Story. Learn how to use Photo Story. The students will be provided with printouts of a Photo Story tutorial.

R
Assessments: 1. Digital Scrapbook

What activities, products and performances will be designed to provide students with the opportunity to reflect, rethink, and revise?

2. Drawings of Houses Evaluations: 1. Group Work Evaluation Reflections: 1. Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

What self-assessments and selfevaluations will students participate in to allow for reflection and transfer of learning?

Students will complete a self-reflection activity that is designed to help them determine their understanding of measurement and the use of Photo Story 3.

How will instruction and activities be tailored to provide for the various learning needs, styles, knowledge and interests of students?

Students will work in groups to create a digital scrapbook. Students, in groups of three, will be able to tour the school and take pictures of ordinary objects that reflect the measurements covered in class.

O
Pretest: (Day One)

How will learning experiences be organized/sequenced to provide for greatest acquisition/understanding

Activate prior knowledge. Ask pre-assessment questions from Stage 2. Read story, Mr. Tall & Mr. Small by Barbara Brenner, to introduce Measurement. Discuss the height of the giraffe and the length of its neck. Compare a giraffes neck to a mouses neck.

Hook: (Day One)


Hook students by telling them they will become architects and design a house using measurements. Pass out drawing paper and have students draw a house. Have students compare their houses using the words tall, small, long, high. Then, lead the students in a

relay game. Working in teams of two, students will have to race to measure objects.

Explanation, Interpretation and Application: (Day One)


Students are given the assignment rubric and assignment directions. I will show them an example presentation using Photo Story 3. Students are broken into their groups to look over the assignment and group work rubrics. Each student in the group gets assigned a role. The roles are 1.) Runner 2.) Technology support 3.) Secretary. The students will take turns taking pictures for the project.

(Day Two)
Introduce and define vocabulary words length and height. Write in Math Journal. Draw pointing arrows next to height and length to help differentiate. Give each student a rod of 10 connecting cubes. Ask students to guess how many cubes long their arm is from their wrist to their elbow. (Point to wrist and elbow.) Explain that a guess is an estimate. Discuss estimates. Model for students how to measure their arm using the connecting cubes. Have students work in pairs. Estimate each others arm length. Then measure using cubes. Compare arm measurements. Are they all the same? Group work. Each group of four students will estimate and then measure the following objects using connecting cubes: length of a pencil, crayon, eraser (All objects should be the same.) height of notebook or textbook Use Math Journal to record results. Share estimates and results with class. Ask why was the number of cubes used to measure the same objects different among children? Have students go back and measure same objects using paper clips. Compare clip measurements with their cube measurements. Discuss how to take quality photographs. Each group has a digital camera from the media center and will be taking pictures for the scrapbook, so learning about lighting and camera angle is important. Show students examples of good photography and bad photography.

(Day Three)
Hook students by measuring the length of the classroom by counting the number of footsteps walked. Explain to children how people used their feet and fingers to measure things long ago. From the tip of a persons thumb to the first joint was used to measure small things. Feet were used to measure long objects. Have pairs of students measure a crayon, eraser, the length of their desk. Compare answers. Ask: Why do students get different measurements? Is everyones thumb the same size? Are our feet all the same size? Discuss. What tool today can we use so that we all get the same measurement?

Give each student a small paper clip. Explain that a paper clip is equal to an inch. Use an inch ruler to measure a paper clip. Give each student a ruler and have them measure the paper clip. Remind students to line up end of paper clip with the end of the ruler. Use objects in the classroom such as a crayon, eraser, marker, their shoe. Have students first estimate how many inches, then measure using a ruler. When we estimate are our answers all the same? When we use the ruler are our measurements all the same? Remind students that small objects are measured in inches. Ask students what do we measure long and tall objects with? Model how to measure the height of the white board. Explain that a ruler is 12 inches long. Write rule on board. 12 inches equals one foot. Write rule in Math Journal. Have students measure other objects in the classroom that can be measured in feet. Group work. Have students practice measuring big and small items in the classroom. ( a nail, student desk, teachers desk, bookcase, door, a book, a toy, student shoe) Remind students to line up the bottom of the ruler with the end of the object being measured. Compare results. Ask: Why do we all use a ruler to measure? Have children write in their Math Journals when they would use a ruler to measure. Present a lesson on how to work with Photo Story 3. Assist the groups as they upload their photos and create their presentations.

(Day Four)
Review the measurements: inches and feet. Explain they are going to learn Another unit of measure called a yard. Show a yard stick. Ask if the yard Stick is longer or shorter that an inch? A foot? Write rule on board. Three feet equal 1 yard. Put three 12 inch rulers on top of a yard stick. Model measuring the length of the white board using the yard stick. Explain that large objects are measure in yards. What other items in the classroom would be measured in yards? Play game of Mother May I to practice inch (baby) steps, foot (one step) steps, and yard (large) steps. Players line up on one side of room while teacher is opposite them. When teacher gives a direction: Take three inch steps student must ask May I or they loose a turn. Class should practice inch steps, foot steps, and yard steps before beginning game. The first student to reach the teacher is the winner. Whole Class: Use real objects. Have students decide if they would measure the object in inches, feet or yards. Then take turns measuring the objects. Example of objects; Length of a paint box Height of an easel

Length of a paint brush Length of the classroom

Height of a boy Height of a bookcase

Ask students: Why do we need to measure things? Take out Math Journal. Write rule: Three feet equal one yard. Have students name three objects they would measure in yards.

(Day Five)
Review with students that so far they have been estimating and measuring height and length for objects that have straight lines. Ask students: How would they measure a crooked, zig-zag line? On board, draw a path made up of two lines that make a V shape. Each line should measure 3 inches. Ask students to estimate the length of the entire path using their fingers to make and count inches. Discuss and then demonstrate how to measure each line using a ruler. Then add the lengths together for the total length. 3 inches + 3 inches = 6 inches. Have students work in pairs. Pass out inch rulers. Estimate and measure paths that are not straight. Measure paths that have 3 parts, 4 parts, 5 parts. Paths should be measured in inches. Ask if their estimates are close to their actual measurements. As students finish, have students use crayons to make paths that are not straight. Have them guess the length and then measure to find the total length. Have students look around the classroom for objects that have unequal sides. Ask how they would measure the object to find the total height or length.

(Day Six)
Ask students if they have ever seen the Olympics on T.V.? What events have they seen the athletes compete in? Introduce the metric system. Explain to students that there is another way to measure length and height. Runners in the Olympics measure the distance they run in meters. Give each student a centimeter ruler. Have students find the number 1 on the centimeter ruler. Ask if a centimeter is longer or shorter than an inch? Compare inches and centimeters. Ask what kind of things would be measured in centimeters? Have students estimate small classroom items and measure using centimeter ruler. Have students count ten centimeters starting from the number 1. Explain that 10 centimeters equals 1 decimeter. Show meter stick. Ask students to guess how many centimeters are on the meter stick. Pass each group of students a meter stick. Compare meter stick to yard stick. Which stick is longer? Ask what types of objects would you measure with a meter stick? Have groups of students take turns estimating then measuring the length or height of large objects such as the door, wall, white board, floor, or table. Have groups share their

findings. Review with students: Use centimeters to measure small objects and meters to measure large objects. Assess understanding by pointing to objects in the classroom asking which unit of measurement they would use to find the length or height of objects. Point to a book, the length of the room, a stapler, poster, the height of the wall. Ask students how many meters long they can jump? If time and space allow, let students take turns jumping from a starting position. Tape start card to floor. Have students take turns jumping. Measure each jump. Continue to work on our Photo Story projects. Discuss copyright laws associated with music. Begin adding narration to the projects. Discuss the importance of talking clearly and loudly enough to be heard.

(Day Seven)
Ask students if they know what an architect is. Explain that an architect designs buildings for people to live in or work in. Explain that they are going to be architects and design a house for a family of four. Today they will practice drawing a one story house with a roof, front door and two windows. As an architect, their house must be drawn using a ruler. Model for students how to measure and draw the floor, walls, ceiling, roof, door and windows. Give students blank paper to practice measuring and drawing a house. Watch for students who are not measuring with a ruler. Houses should have equal sides. Ask students to label the measurement of the walls, roof, ceiling and floor. Ask what measurement they are using. Allow students to draw different size houses.

(Day Eight)
Remind students that they are architects. It is their job to design a house for a family of four. The family would like a house that is two stories tall. The house must have four windows, a roof and a door. The house must be drawn using a ruler. The walls, floors, ceilings, windows and door must be labeled with the correct measurement. When they are finished their design, they will use a self-assessment checklist to make sure their design is complete. Student architects will share their designs and scrapbook with the class.

(Day Nine)
Have students take the posttest using clickers and the SmartBoard. Post test powerpoint: http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/443784/Measurement

Lesson Reflection:
It was a pleasure working with Mrs. Butler and Mrs. Adams on the lesson. They were very open to all of my suggestions and so excited that I would be helping their students not only

prepare for the CRCT by learning measurement, but also working with Photo Story 3. In our initial meeting, Mrs. Butler explained how her students in years past had struggled with learning measurement and that she had always struggled with finding an authentic task with which to teach these concepts. We agreed that her students would benefit from this assignment. We spent a great deal of time exchanging ideas about this unit and in fine-tuning issues like group work. Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Adams and I were able to communicate easily with each other through faceto-face meetings and school email. I feel that the effective use of technology such as the SMART Board and the laptops were the strongest aspect of the lesson. Students were able to follow my instructions by looking at the SMART Board and creating their Photo Story projects. Another great element of the lesson was providing students with the rubric to use as they created their digital scrapbooks. The rubric that I created worked well and was easy to use. I was a little worried that I would not have time to assess the digital scrapbooks created by each group, but with the help of the rubric, evaluation was quick and easy. The rubric was also effective because students were able to get instant feedback on their performance and make any adjustments needed. This lesson, although enjoyable and productive, seemed to get more difficult each day. On the third day, the laptops were working so slowly and one group lost a part of their project after their computer mysteriously shut off. I do realize, however, that these types of problems are expected when working with technology. I think the lesson was a great success. According to some of the students, the best part of the lesson was when they were able to go around the school taking pictures.

You might also like