1st grade · Math · Unit 7 of 16
Measuring
Measure with cubes and clips
What your child practices
Measuring length with paper clips and cubes, comparing longer and shorter, heavier and lighter, and seeing why same-size units matter.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 1.17; 1.18 · ordering and comparing lengths and measuring with same-size units
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Start at the very end of the thing.
- Use units that are all the same size.
- Leave no gaps. Count the units.
Example: A book is 5 cubes long. A pencil is 8 cubes long. Which is longer? Compare 5 and 8. 8 is more than 5. Answer: The pencil
Measuring in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 7 of 16 in 1st grade Math, after Patterns and before Shapes.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
How many paper clips long is the snake?
🐍📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎- 8
- 2
- 11
8
Hint: Count each paper clip from one end of the snake to the other.
Question 2
Where should the first cube go when you measure?
🟦- Right at the end
- In the middle
- Anywhere at all
Right at the end
Hint: Start right at one end so you measure the whole thing.
Question 3
Which holds the least water?
- 🥣bowl
- 🥄spoon
- 🪣bucket
🥄 spoon
Hint: Think about which one has the least space inside.
Question 4
What is best for measuring a long hallway?
- 📎paper clips
- 👣footsteps
👣 footsteps
Hint: Big things need bigger units, so you don't have to count so many!
Question 5
How many paper clips long is the caterpillar?
🐛📎📎📎📎- 3
- 10
- 4
4
Hint: Count each paper clip from one end of the caterpillar to the other.
Question 6
Which is shorter?
Measured in paper clips
🥄 spoon📎📎📎📎🥕 carrot📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎📎Each picture = 1
- 🥄spoon
- 🥕carrot
🥄 spoon
Hint: The one that needs fewer paper clips is shorter.