This is an instrument. That s my ruler. And I need it right now because I ve gotta tell dude here about exact measurements.

Transcription

1 Measurement MA6731 Activity Introduction Ever since you were a little kid, you ve measured different things. Well, today, star reporter Sally Newsworth is taking you on a trip through measurements! Exact measurements, to be exact. You ll also learn reasonableness when using the metric and customary systems, and the best unit to use when measuring. So grab your ruler cause heeeeere we go! Direct Instruction Thanks, Man! That s right. The first thing we ll look at today is exact measurements. What do I mean? R. Eddy knows measurements like he knows instruments. Let s see what he s up to Model 1 Where s my Heeeey! I ve been looking for that! My instrument? This is an instrument. That s my ruler. And I need it right now because I ve gotta tell dude here about exact measurements. I want it back after you re done. My public awaits! Like I was trying to say When you measure length, you can use a ruler to find the exact measurement of the length of something. And you should always start at the end, where zero would be on the ruler. Put the item next to it and read the marking on top.

2 Now, most of the time it won t be at the exact number. But it ll be next to a marking that represents either a number or a fraction of a number. All you ve gotta do, is figure out what each marking represents, and you ll be fine. Feel like you re measuring up? Or do you think you need to hear that again? Model 2 Hey! Did you know that you can also find the exact measurement of temperature? I ll bet Willy the Weatherman knew that! Let s see what R. Eddy knows about measuring temperature. Knowing how to measure temperature can be useful in knowing whether to wear your favorite tee under a hoodie or not. First you ve gotta understand the markings on the thermometer and what they represent. When you know that, you can easily understand the thermometer reading to and determine the accurate temperature. Sounds easy, right? For the most part it is. The hardest part about reading a thermometer is knowing whether or not you should find the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius. Once you have identified which measurement system to use, look at where the liquid in the thermometer ends to identify the degrees. So let s pause here before you get brain freeze from taking this all in too quickly. Hey, what s the exact temperature of brain freeze? Anyway What do ya think? Direct Instruction And we re back! This time, let s take a look at using reasonableness with the metric and customary systems of measurement. Model 1

3 Okay, Ralphie. I want my violin bow back now. I m still using my ruler. You can have it when I m done, little dude. I m gonna tell mom that you keep taking all of my stuff. First of all, I m not taking all of your stuff. And, second of all, it s not even yours. You re exaggerating and being unreasonable. I am too being reasonable. Reasonableness is the same as asking yourself: does that really make sense? And to me, it doesn t make any sense that you keep taking my violin bow. It s a ruler! And it doesn t make sense to me that you keep taking it! I m trying to explain reasonableness in math, to dude here. Like, would it make more sense to say that a pencil is twelve centimeters or twelve millimeters long? Since twelve millimeters would be such a small pencil that you couldn t even fit it into a pencil sharpener, the most reasonable measurement for a pencil would be twelve centimeters. Hey Debbie Would you measure the amount of ear drop medicine that mom gives you as five milliliters or five grams? Well, drops of medicine are liquids. And mom says you measure liquids in milliliters. I think you use grams to measure the weight of an object like my violin bow. It s a never mind And let s pause. How re ya doin? Wanna keep going? Or, do you need to hear that again? Model 2

4 Reasonableness isn t just used in the metric system. It can be used with the customary system as well. Let s take a look. So, ponder this, dude Do you think it would make more sense to say that the amount of water a plant holds is four inches or four ounces? Before you answer the question, think about the question and what it s asking. What do you know of that s measured in inches? How about ounces? Well since you measure length and distances in inches, and you measure liquids in ounces, it would be more reasonable to say that the plant contains four ounces of water. Rock on! Yes, we re rockin maybe. Do you wanna learn more? Or do you think you wanna see that last part again, just to make sure you ve got it all? Model 3 And reasonableness isn t just for exact numbers. It can also be used when you re trying to figure out the most reasonable estimate. R. Eddy s gonna show you how. A reasonable estimate is basically making a sensible guess. Check it out John and Patricia were in science class together working on a mixture for a lab. The mixture weighed about the size ofsame as four crushed-up aspirinsheadache tablets. So, do you think the mixture weighed about fourteen grams (pause) or forty grams? Well, forty grams would be an awfully big mixture more like the weight of three mixtures. And since the mixture weighs about the same as four crushed-up aspirinsheadache tablets, the most reasonable estimate would be fourteen grams. Okee-dokee-arti-chokee! Are you feeling like you wanna go forward? Or backward for a review of that last part?

5 Direct Instruction The last thing you ll learn today is how to compare the metric and customary systems to see which is the most reasonable. And our most reasonable friend, R. Eddy, is back to help you out! Model 1 Dude so first of all, when you compare between the two systems of measurement, you have to actually know what you re measuring. What I mean is it s important to know what unit of measure you d use in a particular situation. Like you would never measure musical notes in pounds. That d be just wrong! Any musician worth their weight in sheet music knows that you measure musical notes in well measures. So, what if you re asked to find the best measurement of, say A glass of water? Well, one of the units would be used for distance (pause) maybe the height of the cup. The other for capacity. When you measure liquid, you actually use the measurement for capacity because capacity tells us how much liquid occupies a container. Right now, I want to measure your level of understanding. If you get it, let s move on. Otherwise, we can go back so you can see it again for good measure. Get it? For good measure? Model 2 Dude so first of all, when you compare between the two systems of measurement, you have to actually know what you re measuring. What I mean is it s important to know what unit of measure you d use in a particular situation.

6 Like you would never measure musical notes in pounds. That d be just wrong! Any musician worth their weight in sheet music knows that you measure musical notes in well measures. So, what if you re asked to find the best measurement of, say A glass of water? Well, one of the units would be used for distance (pause) maybe the height of the cup. The other for capacity. When you measure liquid, you actually use the measurement for capacity because capacity tells us how much liquid occupies a container. Right now, I want to measure your level of understanding. If you get it, let s move on. Otherwise, we can go back so you can see it again for good measure. Get it? For good measure? Model 3 Now, sometimes you ll be asked to see which unit of measurement makes the most sense when given more than one choice. Your job ll be to find which is most reasonable. Show our friend here the deal, R. Eddy! So think about it, dude. Inches and centimeters are both used for measuring distances. But, what would be the most reasonable? Would you say that a piece of copy paper is eleven inches tall or eleven centimeters? Well, I think my doll might have a piece of paper in her dollhouse that I can measure in centimeters. Besides, my teacher said a normal piece of paper, like we use in school, is about a foot tall. And a foot is twelve inches. Like my violin bow.

7 That s right. Like your violin bow. So, the most reasonable measurement would be eleven inches. Alright my friend. What do you wanna do? End of Activity Review Well, we covered a lot of ground today, huh? Let's go over it again. In this activity, you learned to find exact measurements in customary and metric systems. You also got to explore how to compare between the same systems, with either the metric system or the customary system. Finally, you found out how to make comparisons between the two systems using reasonableness to find the best estimate. And there ya have it. All s well that ends well. Unless you haven t ended yet. Need more time to think things over?