Let's Measure! Length and Width with Cubes

Math Grades 1st Grade 4:08 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn how to measure the length and width of objects using linking cubes as nonstandard units. Have fun measuring items around your home!

Video Resource

Grade 1: Math Lesson #36 Measuring Length and Width Using Nonstandard Units

The Eagle's Nest - Our Online Classroom

Duration: 4:08
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Key Concepts

  • Length
  • Width
  • Nonstandard Units of Measurement

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to define length and width.
  • Students will be able to measure the length and width of objects using linking cubes.
  • Students will be able to count accurately to determine the number of units used for measurement.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by reviewing the concepts of length and width. Explain that length is how long something is, and width is how wide something is. Show examples using your hands and arms and ask the students to follow along.
  • Video Viewing (10 mins)
    Watch the video 'Grade 1: Math Lesson #36 Measuring Length and Width Using Nonstandard Units'. Pay attention to how the teacher uses linking cubes to measure different objects.
  • Guided Practice (10 mins)
    After the video, gather the students and have them count out 12 linking cubes like in the video. Measure common objects in the classroom like pencils, books, or erasers together, modeling the process of placing the cubes end-to-end and counting them.
  • Independent Practice (10 mins)
    Have each student choose 3-5 objects around the classroom or their home and measure them using linking cubes (or similar items like LEGO bricks or cereal, as suggested in the video). Encourage them to record their measurements.
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review what they measured and the lengths that were measured. Have students share their findings and discuss any challenges they faced during the measuring process.

Interactive Exercises

  • Measurement Scavenger Hunt
    Give students a list of items to find and measure around the room or at home. For example: Find something that is 5 cubes long. Find something that is 8 cubes wide.

Discussion Questions

  • What does it mean to measure the length of something?
  • What does it mean to measure the width of something?
  • Why is it important to line up the cubes without gaps or overlaps when measuring?
  • Can we use other things instead of cubes to measure? What could we use?

Skills Developed

  • Measuring with Nonstandard Units
  • Counting
  • Comparing Lengths and Widths
  • Problem-solving

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is length?

Correct Answer: How long something is

Question 2:

What is width?

Correct Answer: How wide something is

Question 3:

What can we use to measure?

Correct Answer: Linking cubes

Question 4:

If a pencil is 6 cubes long, and a crayon is 4 cubes long, which is longer?

Correct Answer: The pencil

Question 5:

When measuring, should you leave gaps between the cubes?

Correct Answer: No

Question 6:

If a book is 8 cubes wide, and a desk is 12 cubes wide, which is wider?

Correct Answer: The desk

Question 7:

Is measuring fun?

Correct Answer: Yes!

Question 8:

If you are measuring something, and you run out of cubes, what should you do?

Correct Answer: Add more cubes

Question 9:

What are we using as tools to measure today?

Correct Answer: Cubes

Question 10:

When measuring with cubes, do they have to be the same size?

Correct Answer: Yes

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

We can use _________ to measure.

Correct Answer: cubes

Question 2:

How long something is, is called its _________.

Correct Answer: length

Question 3:

How wide something is, is called its _________.

Correct Answer: width

Question 4:

A pencil that is 5 cubes long is _________ than a pencil that is 3 cubes long.

Correct Answer: longer

Question 5:

We should line up the cubes without any _________ when we measure.

Correct Answer: gaps

Question 6:

If something is very long, you will need ________ cubes to measure it.

Correct Answer: more

Question 7:

Using cereal to measure is a ________ unit of measurement.

Correct Answer: nonstandard

Question 8:

If your crayon is 4 cubes wide, and the box is 8 cubes wide, the ________ is wider

Correct Answer: box

Question 9:

If you don't have cubes, you can use _________ instead.

Correct Answer: legos

Question 10:

When measuring, we _________ the cubes.

Correct Answer: count

Educational Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.1.MD.A.2: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. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps. CCSS.Math.Content.1.NBT.A.1:Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.

Teaching Materials

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