Non-Standard Measurement

Our learners have been exploring non-standard measuring in the classroom. They have been using different tools and measuring lots! Our learners really enjoyed using the links to determine their height.

We have learned some important things when measuring:

- our tools have to be the same size

- we need to line up the tools end to end:

- we have to start at the bottom and go to the top:

- we can use our hand to make sure our tool is lined up properly:

- we have to count how many tools we use:

After measuring their height, we hung the links from the wall so they could compare their height and write about what they found.

Students have created structures using 3D shapes. They have used a few different non-standard tools. I was inspired by Jocelyn Schmidt's post on Instragram (http://ljpskindergartenteam.blogspot.ca/) and created a template for our learners to record their thinking.

Math small groups are a lot of fun!

Recording and organizing our thinking

These SKs used links first to measure their structure. Before they measured they estimated how many links they thought their tower would measure. After they recorded their estimate they measured and counted how many it actually was. 

They then used cubes

Finally they used blocks

The blocks kept falling, so they lay them down on the ground and measured them against the other tools they used to measure

This JK group created a small structure out of 3D shapes and used links, cubes and blocks to measure it.

Counting how many blocks the tower is

Our learners have also been exploring perimeter. One group used penne noodles to measure the perimeter of our math carpet. Then another day, a group used links. Both groups had to think about how to count their measuring tools, there were a lot! After discussions, they realized they could count by 10s. They worked together to group their tools by ten.

This group used cubes to mark out the groups of 10. 

The perimeter of the carpet was 160 pastas!

This group used links

Making groups of 10 

Organizing the groups of 10 on the math carpet

They then used 10 frames to help count their groups of 10

The perimeter of the carpet was 208 links long!

Lots of interesting dialogue happened during both of these experiences. The learners collaborated to problem-solve the counting process. It was exciting to see the students who had done it before come and help suggest a strategy of grouping by 10s.