Measure with Units

What you'll learn

Compare objects by length, weight, and how much they hold
Measure length using nonstandard units end to end
Order objects by size

Words to know

Length —: how long something is
Weight —: how heavy something is
Volume —: how much a container holds
Longer —: greater in length
Shorter —: smaller in length

Why it matters Measuring lets you compare things and choose which is longer, heavier, or holds more, even without a ruler.

Worked examples

Model ItI do

Measure a pencil using paper clips laid end to end.

Line up paper clips along the pencil with no gaps and no overlaps. Count the paper clips. If it takes 6 clips, the pencil is about 6 paper clips long.

Try It TogetherWe do

One book is 8 cubes long and another is 5 cubes long. Which is longer?

The book that takes more cubes is longer. 8 cubes is more than 5 cubes, so the first book is longer.

Now YouYou do

Would you use more small cubes or more big blocks to measure the same desk?

Think about which unit is smaller. Check your answer in the back of this chapter.

Practice

Mastered 0 of 11

Warm-up

Ease in with the basics.

1.Which is longer: a pencil or a school bus?
2.Which is heavier: a leaf or a rock?
3.Which holds more: a bucket or a cup?

On Level

The core Quick Check from the book.

1.Which is longer: a shoe or a bus?
2.A crayon is 4 cubes long. A marker is 6 cubes long. Which is longer?
3.Which holds more: a spoon or a cup?
4.Which is heavier: a feather or a brick?
5.When you measure with paper clips, should there be gaps between them?

Challenge

Stretch your thinking.

1.A rope is 10 cubes long and a ribbon is 7 cubes long. How many cubes longer is the rope?
2.You measure the same table with small paper clips and with big blocks. Which will you need more of?
3.You lay paper clips to measure with gaps between them. Will your count be too many or too few?