Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table. For example, know that 1 ft is 12 times as long as 1 in. Express the length of a 4 ft snake as 48 in. Generate a conversion table for feet and inches listing the number pairs (1, 12), (2, 24), (3, 36), …
[divider] [/divider]Students are able to…
- Use benchmarks to understand the size of units and apply this knowledge to the reasonableness of their results.
- Utilize tables in recording equivalent measures in order to establish patterns.
- Extend understanding of place value to converting metric units.
- Generate equivalent measures of a larger unit with a smaller unit (ex. Express gallons as pints)
[divider] [/divider]Students are able to…because teachers:
- Create experiences using realia and tools that illustrate the relative size of units.
- Provide opportunities for students to create tables recording measurements and explore the patterns with the units of measure.
- Ensure students have access to the FSA Reference sheet
- Pose situations to students that allow them to connect converting from a larger unit to a smaller unit to equal groups.
[divider] [/divider]Questions to ask students:
- See if students can correctly identify an appropriate benchmark for units.
- Sample answer that indicates understanding: I know that one inch is about the size of a paper clip.
- Ask students how they know if their answer will be a greater or less number when they convert their units. Example: If you are finding out how many ounces are in 7 pounds, will your answer be greater than 7 or less than 7?
- Sample answer that indicates understanding: I know that my answer will be greater because it takes more of the smaller unit to make 1 of the larger unit.
- Sample answer that indicates an incomplete understanding or a misconception: The answer is going to be small because my unit is smaller.
- Point to table used to record patterns in equivalent measurements. Ask student if they can identify a rule or pattern that could be used to find other equivalent measures.
- Sample answer that indicates understanding: I notice that every time I have another yard in the table on one side, the other side increase by 3 feet. That means that I can multiple the number of yards to find the number of feet.
[divider] [/divider]FSA Notes
Cognitive Complexity Level: 1 – Recall
Achievement Level Descriptors:
2- knows relative size of measurement units, within one system of units
3- expresses measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit, within a single system, records that data in a two-column table
4- expresses measurements in a larger unit in terms of a variety of smaller units, within a single system
5- given a context, determines the appropriate unit needed and expresses the measurement to the level of accuracy needed
Assessment Limits:
Measurements may only be whole numbers.
For non‐metric conversions, multiplication is limited to 2‐digit numbers by 1‐digit numbers or a multiple of 10 by a 1‐digit number.
Allowable units of measurement include: kilometer, meter, centimeter, millimeter, liter, milliliter, kilogram, gram, milligram, mile, yard, foot, inch, gallon, quart, pint, cup, ton, pound, and ounce.
[divider] [/divider]Additional Resources:
Additional in depth content knowledge
Blog Post: Kids Confused by Conversions? Kick the Quick Tricks!
Video: Recognizing Common Units of Measure – Learnzillion
[divider] [/divider]Sample Formative Assessment Tasks: