Hey there! Today, we’re going to explore a fun lesson about measurement. Have you ever wondered how we can measure the unique things about ourselves? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to do! Let’s dive into the world of metric measurement and learn how to measure different parts of our bodies.
First, we watched a short video that got us thinking about how special our bodies are. Did you know that we shed 620 grams of skin every year? That’s a lot! The video helped us see just how unique each of us is.
We used an app called Kahoot to test our skills in estimating sizes. Estimating means guessing how long or big something is before actually measuring it. We had fun trying to guess the length of our faces and ears. Was your guess close?
Next, we learned how to measure correctly using rulers and measuring tapes. It’s important to start at zero to get the right measurement. We practiced measuring different objects around us, like pencils and books, to see how good we were at estimating.
Then, we teamed up with a partner to measure each other’s body parts, like our arm spans and heights. Did you know that your arm span is usually the same as your height? It’s pretty cool to discover these things!
After measuring, we used a tool called Office Mix to make a presentation. We created slides to show what we learned and compared our measurements with our classmates. It was fun to see how similar or different we all are!
Finally, we shared our findings with the class. We calculated the class average for each body part we measured and talked about what makes us unique. It was interesting to see that some of us had the same measurements, while others were different.
If you’re a teacher, try starting with a lesson you already know and add a bit of technology to make it more exciting. This way, you can gradually try new things and make learning even more fun for your students!
That’s it for our measurement adventure! We learned a lot about using technology to measure and how unique our bodies are. Remember, measuring can be fun and interesting, especially when you discover new things about yourself and your friends!
Measure Your World: Take a ruler or measuring tape and explore your home or classroom. Measure different objects like a book, a toy, or a chair. Write down your estimates first, then measure to see how close you were. Share your findings with a friend or family member. Can you find something that is exactly one meter long?
Body Measurement Art: Use a large sheet of paper and trace your body outline with a partner. Measure different parts of your outline, like your arm span, leg length, and height. Decorate your outline with colors and drawings that represent you. Display your artwork and compare it with others. What similarities or differences do you notice?
Estimation Game: Gather a few small items like a pencil, eraser, or a small toy. Without measuring, guess the length of each item. Write down your guesses, then use a ruler to measure the actual lengths. How close were your estimates? Try this game with a friend and see who can guess more accurately!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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All right, who would like to read our essential question for the day? Corbin, go ahead.
How can we objectively measure our unique differences?
Okay, so we are wrapping up our measurement unit. We’re going to start out by doing some activities to show how unique we are, and then we’ll measure some things about our bodies as well. My name is Chrissy Wheeler, and I teach at Village of Barbersville Elementary School in Barbersville, West Virginia, and I teach fifth grade. This lesson is about measurement.
Students often have a hard time with metric measurement at the intermediate level, so as I was planning this lesson, I started with content that I knew I had to cover and that students needed help with. Measuring their bodies was a great shift and a culminating activity. Incorporating Kahoot and Office Mix in the Rulers app was an easy way to deepen the understanding of metric measurement for the students.
We’re going to watch a very short video clip, and I want you to think about what you notice about your body. In the hook of the lesson, the students watch a video to get them engaged, and one of the topics is about how unique they are. It discusses numbers in the body that are quite astonishing and that students may not have thought about before.
Okay, who can give us one fact that they noticed that makes their body special?
We shed 620 grams of skin every year.
Good! Now, we’re going to take a formative assessment to see what we know about estimating sizes. We will also be using the Kahoot app so that students can see if they’re good at estimating and think about their body parts and how long each of those pieces would be on them.
When you get your computers, go on to Kahoot like we did earlier. To meet my learning goals, I wanted to ensure that we weren’t just using apps or technology for fun; it had to have a purpose. I feel that the ones we chose were very purposeful for what we did.
Is the average length of your face greater or less than 7 inches?
I really like using other tools, especially Kahoot, because it makes it competitive, and I’m pretty competitive at a lot of things. Yes, the students love using the Kahoot app because they’re competitive, and it makes them pay attention. They really want to win and get the answers right, and it’s a good review for them as well.
Is the average length of your ear greater or less than 2.2 inches?
I think it’s very important to incorporate technology as much as possible. If I can do that within my lessons, that’s what I do. I try to come up with lessons that I know I have to cover and then see where I can embed technology without it being just fluff or something extra.
Now, we’re going to talk about how to measure correctly. Who can remind us how we measure with a ruler or measuring tape the right way?
For direct instruction, we will use centimeter rulers, and I’ll put them on the Elmo document camera so that students can see the proper way to measure, starting at zero to get accurate measurements. I’m going to give you just a couple of minutes to take a few objects and measure them. Find three things to measure.
For guided practice, we are using an app called “R,” and the students can take everyday objects like pennies or pens and estimate what they think the lengths will be. They can take a screenshot and use those to compare with other objects to see if they’re good at estimating.
I thought it was going to be eight.
For independent practice, the students will partner up and measure each other’s body parts, then compare that to their estimates to see how accurate they were.
My favorite part of the lesson was working with our partners. It was fun to know that when you measure your arm span, you realize that’s your height.
How many of you think you’re good estimators based on what we just did? Thumbs up if you think you did pretty well.
For the wrap-up, the students use Office Mix embedded in PowerPoint to see what attributes were similar within their measurements during independent practice. They need to have a title page, a maximum of three slides, and one of them must incorporate Office Mix.
My favorite part of the lesson was learning about Office Mix and doing it together in groups. This way, if someone wasn’t doing their share of the work, it wouldn’t just be one person doing all of it; it could be two or three out of four.
We’re going to wrap up and find the class average for each of our body parts and see how the class average compares. The students will also share with the class so everyone can see the different attributes and characteristics of their body parts that make them unique.
I noticed that my height was the same as my arm span. I also noticed that my hand is about the length of my face, which is kind of interesting.
We have many digital learners now, and as educators, we need to reach them at their level. We have to be creative and incorporate technology into our lessons.
The tips I would recommend for teachers would be to start small. Begin with a lesson you already do in class, and then embed technology in one area that students are comfortable with or that you, as a teacher, are comfortable with. This way, you’ll be more willing to try other things and step outside the box next time to incorporate other technology tools into your lessons.
I want you to shut down your computers. If you have started on yours, go ahead and save.
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
