Measurement Teaching Resources
Is your math class ready to dive into length measurement, measuring objects, and more measurement practice? Say hello to printable measurement worksheets, games, and digital activities created by teachers for elementary teachers!
This collection of teaching resources was created by our expert math teachers to help students meet Common Core and state-level standards. Each printable and digital download has undergone a rigorous review by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure they’re student-ready — so you can cut down on lesson planning time!
New to teaching this part of the math curriculum? Our teacher team knows what it’s like to suddenly teach a brand-new grade level, so we’ve put together a quick guide to teaching measurement!
What Are the 4 steps of Teaching and Learning Measurement?
Elementary students have to learn a long list of measurement concepts during their stint in elementary school, including:
- length
- liquid volume
- elapsed time
- mass (weight)
- area
- volume of three-dimensional figures
The good news for teachers: Most measurement concepts have very real-world applications for students. That means there's a whole world of ways to get students excited about reading a ruler or tape measure or weighing heavy objects on a scale.
But before you can get there, let's start with the basic steps to work through when you're teaching students how to measure ... well ... anything!
- Direct comparison — One of the earliest steps of learning measurement is learning the attributes that are being measured. For example, students need to learn what length is if they're ever going to measure it. That's where direct comparison (and step 2, indirect comparison), come in. If you put 2 objects side by side, students can directly compare which is longer and which is shorter and start to understand how to measure an object.
- Indirect comparison — What happens when you can't directly compare two objects? You can add a third as a reference point for indirect comparison, thereby increasing student understanding of the attribute being measured.
- Measuring with non-standard units or informal units — Just as students need to understand the attribute of measuring, they also need to understand the concept of the units we use to measure such as inches or pounds. Using non-standard units is the first step to teaching the concept of units, offering students the chance to work with different objects, counting how many of these "units" it takes to make up another. This is the fundamental base of measurement.
- Measuring with standard units — Finally, in the final step of teaching measurement, students move on to using the formal units of measurement and learn to use measurement instruments.
Why Is Teaching Measurement Important?
There are concrete uses for learning measurement that will surely spring to mind — from using a tape measure to measure a space in a home to weighing ingredients when baking to determining the capacity of a juice glass before pouring in the liquid. These are all means for quantifying our environment.
But the benefits of teaching students about measuring lines with a ruler or figuring out mass measurements from largest to smallest go well beyond the obvious. Learning to measure helps students develop spatial and number skills.
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Measuring Capacity with Informal Units
This mathematics unit addresses the concept of measuring, comparing, and ordering capacity using informal units.
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Measuring Volume with Informal Units Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses the concept of measuring, comparing and ordering volume using informal units.
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Measuring Area with Informal Units - Unit Plan
This mathematics unit addresses the concept of measuring, comparing, and ordering area using informal units.
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Measuring Mass with Informal Units Unit Plan
This mathematics unit addresses the concept of measuring, comparing, and ordering mass using informal units.
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Measuring Length with Informal Units - Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses the concept of measuring, comparing and ordering length using informal units.
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Telling the Time Unit Plan - Grade 1 and Grade 2
This Mathematics unit addresses the concept of telling the time to the hour, half hour and quarter hour.
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Applications of Time Unit Plan - Year 5 and Year 6
This Mathematics unit addresses the concepts of 12- and 24-hour time, timetables and timelines.
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Remember the Time
A 60-minute lesson in which students will tell the time using analog and digital clocks.
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Assessment - Measuring Capacity with Informal Units
A 30 minute assessment in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of capacity.
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Review of Capacity
A 60 minute lesson in which students will review the concept of capacity.
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Capacity Investigation - Filling the Fish Tank
A 60 minute lesson in which students will apply their knowledge and understanding of capacity to a real-world situation.
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Measuring, Comparing, and Ordering Capacities
A 60 minute lesson in which students will estimate and measure the capacity of containers using informal units.
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Comparing Capacities
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore and compare the capacity of containers.
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Introduction to Capacity
A 60 minute lesson in which students will be introduced to and explore the concept of capacity.
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Assessment — Measuring Volume with Informal Units
A 30 minute assessment in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding volume.
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Revision of Volume
A 60 minute lesson in which students will revise and consolidate the concept of volume.
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Volume Investigation - The Land of Cubes
A 60 minute lesson in which students will apply knowledge and understanding of volume to a real-world context.
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Measuring Volume
A 60 minute lesson in which students will measure volumes of 3D objects using informal units.
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Introduction to Volume
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of volume by comparing and ordering objects.
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Assessment - Measuring Area with Informal Units
A 30-minute assessment in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of area.
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Review of Area
A 60-minute lesson in which students will review the concept of area.
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Area Investigation - Big, Loud Feet!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will apply knowledge and understanding of area to a real-world context.
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Measuring Area of Shapes
A 60 minute lesson in which students will measure the area of shapes using informal square units.
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Measuring Area
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of area and how it can be measured using informal square units.
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Introduction to Area
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of area and how it can be measured using informal units.
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Assessment - Measuring Mass with Informal Units
A 30 minute assessment in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of mass.
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Review of Mass
A 60-minute lesson in which students will review the concept of mass.
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Mass Investigation - How Heavy Are the Objects in Your Classroom?
A 60-minute lesson in which students will apply knowledge and understanding of mass to a real-world context.
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Comparing and Ordering Mass
A 60-minute lesson in which students will develop the concept of mass by comparing and ordering the masses of objects.
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Using Balance Scales
A 60-minute lesson in which students will create a set of balance scales for measuring and comparing the masses of objects.
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Introduction to Mass
A 60-minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of mass by comparing and ordering objects.
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Review of Length
A 60 minute lesson in which students will review the concept of length.