Activity: Compare Lengths
Let's measure lengths in different ways.
How Will We Measure?
We'll use these "measuring tools":
 |
Paperclips |
 |
Your hand |
 |
A small piece of string |
 |
Your steps |
Gather Items to Measure
We want some things to measure! Gather up these items:
- A small book
- A large book
- A pencil
- A plate
- A bag
Put them all on a Table, which you can also measure!
 |
Also measure the height of a chair. And the width and length of the Room you are in. |
How To Measure
This book is 5 paperclips wide
If you don't have enough paperclips, then pick up
the ones you started with and use them again
Measurement Tips:
- Make sure all your paperclips are the same size
- Place them straight with no spaces between them and no overlapping
- Always start right at the edge of the object
You can put the chair on its side to measure it.
Using Paperclips
For each item:
- First guess how many Paperclips the length is
- Then measure it using the Paperclips
| Item | Guess | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Example: Small Book | 3 | 4 |
| Small Book | ||
| Large Book | ||
| Plate | ||
| Bag | ||
| Chair (height) | ||
| Table (width) | ||
| Table (length) |
Using Your Hands:
First guess how many "hands" are needed, then do the actual measurement:
| Item | Guess | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Small Book | ||
| Large Book | ||
| Plate | ||
| Bag | ||
| Chair (height) | ||
| Table (width) | ||
| Table (length) |
Using String:
First guess how many lengths of your string are needed, then do the actual measurement:
| Item | Guess | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Chair (height) | ||
| Table (width) | ||
| Table (length) | ||
| Room (width) | ||
| Room (length) |
Using Your Steps:
Now step out these distances:
| Item / Distance | Guess | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| Across the Doorway | ||
| From Desk to Door | ||
| Length of the Rug | ||
| Room (width) | ||
| Room (length) |
From Smallest to Largest
Last, list all the items you measured, from the smallest to largest distance.
Example: Small book, Plate, ...