Cluster 1: Describe and compare measurable attributes. (Additional Cluster)Archived

Clusters should not be sorted from Major to Supporting and then taught in that order. To do so would strip the coherence of the mathematical ideas and miss the opportunity to enhance the major work of the grade with the supporting clusters.

General Information
Number: MAFS.K.MD.1
Title: Describe and compare measurable attributes. (Additional Cluster)
Type: Cluster
Subject: Mathematics - Archived
Grade: K
Domain-Subdomain: Measurement and Data

Related Standards

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

MAFS.K.MD.1.AP.1a
Describe objects in terms of measurable attributes (longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, etc.).
MAFS.K.MD.1.AP.2a

Compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common to see which object has more/less of the attribute. (length, height, weight).


MAFS.K.MD.1.AP.aa
Express the length of an object as a whole number of lengths of another shorter object.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Educational Game

Estimate and Measure - Sticky Math!:

This is an educational game in which the student manipulates sticky buns to estimate and measure baking pans. The site features a kid's voice that walks the student through math explanations, game directions, and tips for estimating and measuring objects.

Type: Educational Game

Formative Assessments

Describing the Length of Pencils:

Students describe the measurable attributes of an unsharpened pencil and a sharpened pencil.

Type: Formative Assessment

Taller or Shorter:

Students compare their heights to that of a partner and describe the difference in their heights.

Type: Formative Assessment

Using Tiles to Measure:

Students use color tiles to measure the lengths of two figures shown on the accompanying worksheet.

Type: Formative Assessment

Using Paper Clips to Measure:

Students use paper clips to measure the length of two pictured items.

Type: Formative Assessment

Using Cubes to Measure Height:

Students determine their heights determined by cutting a length of string to show this measurement. Then using snap cubes they measure the length of the string.

Note: The measurement of the string will extend past 20 units, use this task with students who demonstrate a readiness to go beyond the measurement of 20 units.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measuring the Width and Height of a Book:

Students are asked to use cubes to determine the length of different sized edges of a book.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measure With Paper Clips:

Students measure the length of an unsharpened pencil with paper clips.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measure With Color Tiles:

Students use color tiles to measure the length of rectangles.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measurable Attributes of an Elephant:

Students describe an elephant in terms of weight and length.

Type: Formative Assessment

Measurable Attributes of a Paper Clip:

Students describe a paper clip in terms of weight and length.

Type: Formative Assessment

Longer Than:

Students are asked to compare the lengths of their arms to items around the classroom.

Type: Formative Assessment

Compare Two Bags:

Students compare the weights of two sandwich bags, one containing cotton balls and one containing rice.

Type: Formative Assessment

Compare Lengths of Cubes:

Students compare the lengths of two trains of cubes and are assessed in order to determine if they understand conservation of length.

Type: Formative Assessment

Comparing Lengths:

Students are asked to compare the lengths of two pieces of string.

Type: Formative Assessment

Attributes of a Car:

Students are asked to name at least three measurable attributes of a car and what could be measured for each object, length or weight.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

Kindergarten 5 Senses with Pumpkins:

This unit opens with a field trip to the pumpkin patch. In this project-based learning experience students will use their five senses to discover the world around them. Students will complete a KWL chart, pumpkin chart, and have group discussions. Individually students will use their five senses to describe the taste, touch, smell, look, and sound of different objects. As teams, students will create a poster to present their findings.

Type: Lesson Plan

Short or Tall? Compare Them All!:

In this lesson, students will use the measurement language 'taller' and 'shorter' to compare their height to another classmate and to the heights of items in the classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Measuring End to End is a Win-Win!:

Be a winner at measuring length by learning how to measure from end to end! Students will learn where the first end and the last end are on an object. They will learn about lining up multiple copies of a non-standard measurement unit, with no gaps or overlaps, from end to end along the length of the object being measured and expressing the object’s length as the number of non-standard measurement units needed.

Type: Lesson Plan

Measuring Madness:

After sharing the story Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy, students will be excited to learn how to measure with nonstandard measuring tools. Your students will want to measure everything in the classroom!

Type: Lesson Plan

Trains and Towers:

During this lesson students will learn to compare objects. While building structures with unifix cubes the students will participate in collaborative conversations with a partner. This will allow students to use mathematical language such as longer, taller, and shorter.

Type: Lesson Plan

Moving on Up:

This MEA lesson is designed for a Kindergarten grade level. Students will be working in small groups to figure out what moving company is best for a family that is moving to a different state and they will learn about weight by differentiating between heavy items and lighter items. The students will be using criteria such as pricing, moving of vehicles, speed, safety and overall rating.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

"How Long is Your Train?":

This lesson is intended to allow students to gain insight into the importance of measurement. The focus is on using non-standard units to measure the length of a "train" they create. Students are then required to compare the length of their train with a buddy's train.

Type: Lesson Plan

Around the Room Measuring:

In this lesson, students practice using "rulers," even though they are not using standard units of measure. The students go around the room in search of various items, and they use a "nonstandard ruler" to measure the items once they are located. This less bridges the use of non standard units to using a ruler.

This lesson supports the alignment of Mathematical Practice Standard MAFS.K12.MP.5.1: Use appropriate tools strategically, as students use various tools to measure lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

Tightrope!:

In this lesson, students will practice measuring items within the classroom to explore differences in length. The teacher will give a specific measurement size for the students to match with common classroom objects to explore longer and shorter lengths.

Type: Lesson Plan

Weight a Minute!:

This lesson uses an "I do, We do, You do" approach to comparing and describing objects using weight. The students will use manipulatives to investigate and compare the weight of given objects. This lesson covers only one attribute of the standard. This lesson is a great way to get students involved in their learning and to help foster a love of math. Included in the lesson is a formative and summative assessment to help monitor the students' progress and understanding of the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Fishy Lengths - Which fish is right for my aquarium?:

Students explore lengths of fish to determine if fish are too long to fit in different sized aquariums. Students will use non-standard units and measuring tools to compare the lengths of fish and boxes without being able to directly hold the fish near the boxes.

Type: Lesson Plan

How Big is a Dinosaur?:

In this dinosaur-themed lesson, students will use dinosaur manipulatives (and the teacher will demonstrate using a longer dinosaur footprint print-out) as units for nonstandard measurement of length. Students will use length comparison statements.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Long and Short of Candy {Exploring Measurement}:

In this lesson, students will describe and compare measurable attributes of candy bars as well as work to find objects that are longer than and shorter than a specified object.

Type: Lesson Plan

Professional Development

What Does It Mean To Measure?:

This is a professional development session from the Learning Math series from Annenberg. Learners will begin to explore the questions "What can be measured?" and "What does it mean to measure something?" Learners identify measurable properties of objects such as weight, surface area, and volume, and discuss which metric units are appropriate for measuring these properties. Learners will also learn that measurement is, by its nature, approximate. Finally, learners will consider how to make measurements using nonstandard units. This session features a number of problems for learners to solve and open-ended questions to discuss, videos that demonstrate measurement techniques, and an interactive activity that asks learners to construct shapes using different size triangles to foster understanding of area and perimeter. There are also nine homework problems in which learners are asked to generate different measurements, graph measurements, and evaluate the appropriateness of the measurements generated using a data chart. Many of the professional development activities can be used directly in the classroom.

Type: Professional Development

Teaching Ideas

Thinking Math. Questions to ask and games to play to help children think mathematically.:

This resource provides teaching ideas related to counting and comparing/sorting different items.

Type: Teaching Idea

Thinking Math. Questions to ask and games to play to help children think mathematically.:

This resource provides teaching ideas related to counting and comparing/sorting different items.

Type: Teaching Idea

A-Weigh We Go!:

Using different items available at home (e.g., bag of flour, box of detergent) students are estimating, measuring and comparing the weight of these items. They examine if "bigger" also means "heavier" and try to find out how to weigh an object that is too big for a bathroom scale.

Type: Teaching Idea

Tutorial

Measuring Length With No Gaps or Overlaps:

In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, called, "Measuring a golden statue", we see an example of how to solve a problem in which we measure an object with same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.

Type: Tutorial

Virtual Manipulative

Long or Short?:

This is an interactive game where students are prompted to distinguish between a longer or shorter object. The tool increases in difficulty as the student progresses.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Educational Game

Estimate and Measure - Sticky Math!:

This is an educational game in which the student manipulates sticky buns to estimate and measure baking pans. The site features a kid's voice that walks the student through math explanations, game directions, and tips for estimating and measuring objects.

Type: Educational Game

Tutorial

Measuring Length With No Gaps or Overlaps:

In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, called, "Measuring a golden statue", we see an example of how to solve a problem in which we measure an object with same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.

Type: Tutorial

Virtual Manipulative

Long or Short?:

This is an interactive game where students are prompted to distinguish between a longer or shorter object. The tool increases in difficulty as the student progresses.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Teaching Idea

A-Weigh We Go!:

Using different items available at home (e.g., bag of flour, box of detergent) students are estimating, measuring and comparing the weight of these items. They examine if "bigger" also means "heavier" and try to find out how to weigh an object that is too big for a bathroom scale.

Type: Teaching Idea

Tutorial

Measuring Length With No Gaps or Overlaps:

In this video tutorial from Khan Academy, called, "Measuring a golden statue", we see an example of how to solve a problem in which we measure an object with same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.

Type: Tutorial