Browse lesson plans

Does your house measure up?

This lesson is intended to be used as a final assessment of a student's understanding of an inch, foot, and yard. It will also assess their ability to use a yardstick, follow written directions, and work with a partner to draw a house on the school blacktop as part of a class neighborhood.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

By Cathy Searcey.

Equal inches

In this lesson, students will begin measuring with nonstandard units and discover the need for a standard unit of measure. Students will also learn to measure to the nearest inch using an inch ruler correctly and record their results.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)

By Charlene Martin.

How long is your smile?

Students will use standard and nonstandard measurement to measure their smile.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)

By Julie Little.

Measurement

Children will work with a partner to measure their hands, feet, and smiles to the nearest inch and centimeter. Children will measure cut slips of different colored construction paper from 1 - 12 inches and graph into even-odd, shortest to longest, longest to shortest. Children will record their information, use the information to solve word problems, and create a number sentence.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)

By Ann Franklin.

Measurement centers

During a center-based activity groups of students will rotate around the classroom practicing non-standard unit of measurement concepts. In addition, they will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with measuring with rulers and will participate in a lesson about capacity.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Mathematics)

By Amy Kershaw.

Measurement mania

Measurement Mania is a series of lessons that will actively involve students in several measurement activities. Students will gain hands-on practice while working within the classroom environment in small groups.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics)

By Christy Brown.

Soooooo tall!

Students will build a figure out of Legos. There are two groups, and each group is competing with the other. Students build their tower of Legos as high as they can and then measure with a ruler or yard stick. The tower has to be free-standing so the children have to think of ways to keep the tower standing by itself.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

By Beverly Rose.

A walk through the solar system

A practice in scientific notation, measurement, and scale distances, this lesson plan integrates mathematics into the science curriculum.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 and 8 Mathematics and Science)

By RhondaS Dausman.

Resources on the web

The area of things...

In this lesson, the third of a seven-part unit from Illuminations titled “Magnificent Measurement,” students have opportunities to recognize and use the attributes of length and area using nonstandard units. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

How many steps?

In this lesson, students participate in activities in which they focus on the uses of numbers. The activities use the theme of games to develop concepts of measurement and statistics. Students are asked to measure distances using standard and nonstandard... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Ladybug lengths

This lesson captures students' interests, provides an introduction to and practice with the measurable attributes of length, and assesses student knowledge. This experience focuses student attention on the attributes of length and gives students the opportunity... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations