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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.

Standard 1 : Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. (Major Cluster)Archived
Cluster Standards

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Visit the specific benchmark webpage to find related instructional resources.

  • MAFS.2.MD.1.1 : Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch, foot, centimeter, or meter by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
  • MAFS.2.MD.1.2 : Describe the inverse relationship between the size of a unit and number of units needed to measure a given object. Example: Suppose the perimeter of a room is lined with one-foot rulers. Now, suppose we want to line it with yardsticks instead of rulers. Will we need more or fewer yardsticks than rulers to do the job? Explain your answer.
  • MAFS.2.MD.1.3 : Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, yards, centimeters, and meters.
  • MAFS.2.MD.1.4 : Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Cluster Information
Number:
MAFS.2.MD.1
Title:
Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. (Major Cluster)
Type:
Cluster
Subject:
Mathematics - Archived
Grade:
2
Domain-Subdomain
Measurement and Data
Cluster Access Points

This cluster includes the following Access Points.

Cluster Resources

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

Original Student Tutorial
Educational Game
  • Estimation of Length, Area, and Volume: The students will be presented with two shapes and must estimate how many times the smaller will fit in the larger. They will be surprised at some of the results but will quickly learn and make adjustments.

Formative Assessments
  • Estimating in Yards: Students are asked to estimate a predetermined length in yards.

  • Measuring to the Nearest Foot: Students use a ruler or yardstick to measure a length to the nearest foot.

  • Centimeters and Meters: Students measure the length of a line segment twice and are given an opportunity to explain why the line segment measures in fewer meters than centimeters.

  • Feet and Inches: Students measure the length of a line twice and are given an opportunity to explain why the line measures in fewer feet than inches.

  • How Much Longer?: Students are asked to determine how many inches longer one line segment is than another.

  • Dragonflies and Grasshoppers: Students shown images of a grasshopper and a dragonfly and are asked to determine how much longer one is than the other.

  • Inches and Centimeters: Students measure the length of a line segment twice, once using inches and again using centimeters, and are asked to explain why the two measures are different.

  • Feet and yards: Students are given the length of an alligator in both feet and yards and are asked to explain why the measure given in feet is greater than the measure given in yards.

  • Walking Ants: Students are shown the paths that two different ants took and are asked to determine how much longer one path is than the other.

  • Comparing Zigzag Segments: Students are shown a zigzag figure and are asked to determine how much longer the longest segment is than the shortest.

  • Measuring a Curve: Students use a ruler and piece of string to measure the length of a curve.

  • Measuring to the Nearest Inch and Centimeter: Students use a ruler to measure one segment to the nearest inch and one segment to the nearest centimeter.

  • Estimating in Feet: Students are asked to estimate the length of a table in feet.

  • Estimating in Meters: Students are asked to estimate a predetermined length in meters.

  • Estimating in Centimeters: Students are asked to estimate the length of a line segment in centimeters.

  • Estimating in Inches: Students are asked to estimate the length of a piece of paper in inches.

  • Rulers and Meter Sticks: Students choose an appropriate tool to measure a hallway.

  • Measuring a Segment Longer Than 12 Inches: Students use a ruler to measure a 17 inch segment to the nearest inch.

Lesson Plans
  • Huff and Puff: A Lesson Focused on the Force of the Wind: In this lesson students will be exploring the force of wind and its affect on objects. Students will use the engineering design process to sketch, build, and assess how their structure withstands different forces of wind.

  • So . . . il Pick You!: This is a Project-Based Learning Project, intended for second grade. It can be adapted and changed for other grades.

  • Measure Both and Find their Difference: Students will measure the lengths of two objects to the nearest inch and determine the difference in the objects' lengths.

  • Measuring Mania: This lesson is a culminating activity for the end of a unit on measurement. Students focus on selecting tools for measuring various objects, justifying why they picked a certain tool.

  • If the Shoe Fits...: In this lesson, students will create line plots based on linear measurements that they collect while participating in the practice of scientific inquiry.

  • What's the difference?: This lesson is designed for students who already have a basic understanding of how to measure using rulers, yardsticks, or meter sticks. Students will first use given measurements of buildings to determine the difference between two objects’ lengths. Then, students will use their own measurement data to determine the difference between objects’ lengths.

  • Oh My! Meters or Centimeters?: This lesson is designed to teach students how to use rulers and meter sticks to measure the length of objects in centimeters or meters. Students will think about which tool is most efficient for measuring objects based on their lengths.

  • Might We Measure This?: Students will use a ruler to measure. Students will measure footprints to try to find the real “foot-sized-foot”.

  • Inching Along: This lesson will require students to measure with nonstandard units and then compare the measurements to the standard measurement unit (inches). This activity will lead students to the conclusion that by using standard units they can create a universal understanding of length.

  • Three Pigs 2.0 - An Engineering Design Challenge: This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of force from SC.2.P.13.1 (investigate the effect of applying various pushes and pulls on different objects) and the concept of wind from SC.2.E.7.4 (investigate that air is all around us and that moving air is wind) as they build structures to withstand the force of high-speed winds. It is not intended as an initial introduction to these concepts.

  • Three Billy Goats Gruff Build a Bridge - An Engineering Design Challenge: This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of force as they build bridges to hold the greatest load. It is also intended to help students apply the concepts of money as they strive to construct the most cost effective bridge. It is not intended as an initial introduction to these concepts.

  • Comparing Inch by Inch:

    This is a hands-on lesson that allows students to practice measuring different lengths of objects and writing equations to determine the difference between their lengths.

  • Discovering Math: Beginning Measurement: Demonstrate the basic measures of length, width, height, weight, and temperature by measuring objects and recording the information.
    • Demonstrate how time is measured by recording it to the nearest minute.
    • Count money using coins and bills.
  • How Long Is It?: This is a lesson designed to help students gain a better understanding of how different units of measurement (inches to feet) change in relationship to the size of the object. Students will get hands-on practice measuring objects using at least two different tools (inch/centimeter ruler, yardstick, meter stick, tape measure).

  • How Many Inches, Feet, and Yards?: Students will measure the length of given objects using various measuring tools. The students will record their measurements using different units including inches, feet, and yards to the nearest whole unit. Students will also estimate and measure the lengths of objects, then compare their estimations to their measurements to find the difference.

     

  • Measurement Mystery Mayhem: In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of units of measurement to estimate the length of objects in centimeters and inches. Students will use rulers to confirm their estimations. Students will engage in communication and cooperative learning by sharing strategies, comparing answers and defending their work.

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.

Teaching Ideas