Hi there! Today, we’re going on a fun learning adventure with Jessi from SciShow Kids and her friend, The Giant Squid. They had a cool chat about how we measure distances and other things. Let’s dive in and see what they talked about!
Jessi got a call from The Giant Squid, who was curious about visiting her and Squeak. But there was a little problem. The Giant Squid saw on Google Maps that Jessi lives almost 3000 miles away. So, he asked, “What’s a mile?” Jessi explained that a mile is a way to measure how far apart two places are. It’s a unit of measurement used in the country where she lives.
The Giant Squid then asked if a mile is like a kilometer. Jessi said, “Exactly!” Both miles and kilometers are used to measure distance. But why are there two ways to measure the same thing? Jessi explained that it’s like different languages. Just like people say “hello,” “hola,” or “bonjour,” different countries use different systems to measure things.
In the United States, people use the Imperial System. This system measures distances in inches, feet, and miles. The Giant Squid thought “feet” sounded funny and wondered if he should measure distances in “tentacles” instead!
Jessi told him that he’s already familiar with the other major system called the Metric System, or International System. This system measures distances in centimeters, meters, and kilometers. The Giant Squid remembered that his mom used this system to measure him as he grew up!
The Metric System is the most popular system and is used in almost every country on Earth. Even though it’s not the official system in the United States, scientists and doctors often use it. You can also find it in stores. For example, a big bottle of soda might be in a 2-liter bottle, which is a metric measurement. But a small can of soda might be 12 ounces, which is an Imperial measurement.
The Giant Squid gave Jessi some good advice: “Don’t drink too much soda. It’s not good for you. Drink more water!” He lives in the water and drinks it all the time. Jessi agreed that it was great advice.
After learning about measurements, The Giant Squid thought about visiting Jessi. But first, he wanted to know if they had toast, especially cinnamon toast!
Thanks for joining Jessi and The Giant Squid on this fun learning journey about units of measurement. See you next time!
Measure Your World: Find a ruler or a measuring tape at home. With the help of an adult, measure different objects around your house. Try measuring in both inches (Imperial System) and centimeters (Metric System). Compare the numbers you get. Which number is bigger? Discuss why you think the numbers are different even though the object is the same size.
Distance Detective: Go on a mini adventure in your neighborhood or a nearby park. Choose a starting point and a destination, like a tree or a bench. Guess how many steps it will take to get there. Count your steps as you walk and see if your guess was close. Try to measure the distance in both steps and feet. How many feet do you think it would be in meters?
Measurement Match-Up: Create a matching game using cards. On one set of cards, write different units of measurement like “mile,” “kilometer,” “inch,” and “centimeter.” On another set, draw pictures of objects or distances that might be measured with those units, like a road for miles or a pencil for inches. Mix them up and try to match the unit with the correct object or distance. Discuss why certain units are better for measuring certain things.
