Math for Parents
Tim Whiteford PhD

Measurement concepts and skills

Conceptual and procedural knowledge.

 1.  An attribute is something you can measure.  
 2. Measurement requires the selection of a referent unit.
    Measurement is the repetition of this referent unit.    
 3. Measurement involves the concept of comparison.
 4. All measurement is approximate.
 5. Estimation is an important part of measurement.
 6. The precision of a measurement depends upon:
      a. The instrument or procedure being used.
      b. The size of the referent unit.
      c. The proficiency of the measurer.
 7. Measurement involves the development of specific language.

Following are some thoughts and sample activities in each area of measurement.

  Length

 1.      Find eight objects and place them in order according to            
        their length.

 2.    Each person in the group use one of the objects from 1. above
       to measure the length of the table. What do you notice?

 3.    Measure the length of your pen in inches and in centimeters.

       Which is easier?

 4.   How far do you think it is all the way around Chamberlin
       school?

       How far away is Boston? In miles? In kilometers? 

AREA 

1.      Find a unit of area measurement. What is the area of the top
  of your table using that unit?

 2.    Place your hand on a piece of squared paper and trace around
       it. What is the area of your hand?
      Are both your hands the same size. Does the size change if
       your fingers are together or apart?

 3.    Draw a right angled triangle on a piece of squared paper and
       work out the area of the triangle. Can you devise a formula
       for finding the area of all such triangles. Show why your
      formula works.

  VOLUME AND CAPACITY 

1.      Place the containers in your center in order of their capacity?         Check your result with the rice.

 2.    Make a three dimensional shape out of blocks that is 3 x 2 x 4.
       What is the volume of the shape you have made?
       Make the cube of 2, 3, 4 and 5.

 3.    Make a list of things we refer to by their capacity or their
       volume.

4. How is capacity different from volume?

      MASS AND WEIGHT

 1    Find six objects and place them in the order of their weight
      using estimation.  Now check your order using comparison only.
      Now check this using a weight of some sort.

 2.  How is mass different from weight?

 3.  How could you find out how much the large tree outside
      weighs?

ANGLES 

Angles are measured by degrees which are units of rotation about a point. Degrees are NOT measure of distance. Make a 45 degree angle to prove this to yourself. 

1.    Cut our some decent size triangles. Tear the three corners off a triangle and put them together so that the straight edges touch each other. What do you notice?

     Do the same with several more triangles. Does the same thing  
      happen?  

2. Cut out some squares and rectangles and do the same.

3. Cut out some irregular four sided shapes and some hexagons
    and do the same.

4. Make some angles and use the protractors to measure them.
    Make sure you rotate the protractors as you measure the
    angles.

TIME 

1.    Close your eyes and open them when you think a minute is up. Do this again but hum a tune while you have your eyes closed. What did you notice?

2.   Design and make a unit for measuring time. Use the unit to
measure how long it takes you to walk to the school office.

     Check the time to get there with a watch. How accurate were
     you?

Note: digitial clocks/watches do not help children to use their knowledge of time. There are no 'half past's or quarter 'till's on a digitial clock/watch. Parents are advised not to buy their children digital watches. Visit the Time page for additional resources.