Kindergarten students need to learn the math concept of non-standard measurement. Before teaching kids how to use a ruler, elementary teachers have students practice measuring using non-standard objects such as plastic or cardboard pigs and pancakes.
Teachers can teach non-standard measurement during an integrated unit based on the children’s book If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff [HarperCollins, 1998]. The class reads If You Give a Pig a Pancake during their reading lesson and then completes activities with a pig and pancake theme during math class.
Non-standard Measurement Math Lesson Objective
Students will use plastic or cardboard pigs and pancakes to measure objects in the classroom.
Motivate Kindergarten Students to Learn Non-Standard Measurement
The teacher reads If You Give a Pig a Pancake to the students during reading instruction. The class will discuss the story and complete language arts activities.
Introduce the Math Concept of Non-Standard Measurement
During math class the teacher has the students recall the If You Give a Pig a Pancake story. She then shows the students a cardboard cut-out of a pancake. She tells the class that they are going to learn how to measure using the pancake.
If You Give a Pig a Pancake Non-Standard Measurement Math Lesson
The teacher models how to measure a window in the classroom using the cardboard pancake. As she measures the window with the pancake, the teacher vocalizes to the students exactly what she is doing so the students can become familiar with the process of non-standard measurement.
The teacher uses the cardboard pancake to measure other objects in the classroom continuing to vocalize how she is measuring. The teacher questions the students about what she should do next while measuring and recording her measurements. She uses verbal and non-verbal prompts to illicit the correct answers.
The teacher has volunteers from the class come to the front of the room to measure objects using the cardboard pancake. If the volunteers have trouble their classmates can assist and redirect them.
The teacher then breaks the class up into their cooperative groups and hands out small cardboard pigs to each group. She gives each group a box of easy to measure items such as pencils or books. The students in the groups take turns measuring each of the objects providing assistance to their fellow group members if necessary.
To assess students’ understanding of non-standard measurement teachers have each kid choose a pig or a pancake. The kids take turns using their non-standard measuring tool to measure an object in the classroom. The teacher re-teaches the measurement concept to any students who have difficulty.
For more math lesson ideas elementary teachers can read the Elementary Snowman Glyph Math Lesson Plan, the Caterpillar Butterfly Math Lesson Plan, and the One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Lesson Plan,
Megan Sheakoski - Megan Sheakoski is a teacher, mom and writer whose ideas have been featured in college text books, graduate courses, on websites and on ...
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