Exploring Measurement and Math

2nd Grade students are improving their math skills by exploring measurement through multiple perspectives. They contemplated the distance from one end of their classroom to the other and then measured the distance in heel-to-toe footsteps. Naturally, their results varied widely based on the size of their individual feet. This set the stage for a conversation about the need for standardized measures, and also launched a discussion about the fact that measurements vary depending on the size of the unit. The students used cut-outs of standardized “teacher’s feet” and “giant’s feet” to measure and record the sizes of various objects in the classroom. These fanciful symbols of standardized measurement were a tangible introduction to the concepts of inches, feet, and yards. See additional photos in the album to the right.