Seton Hall University

College of Education and Human Seruices

ElementarylSpecial Education Lesson Plan Descrlption and Rubric
Measuremenft Make Your Own Ruler
LESSON PLAN DESCRIPTION:

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Jairne Murphy Furst

February I 8, 201 5
TheresaJuliano
Hillside Ave School/Zd Grade/age 7-8
Math: Introducing the concept of measurernent
Make Your own Ruler

Lesson Template
Big ldea/Focus;
Explore: Help students understand the concept of measurement by having them make their
own nCIn-standard ruler.
Common Core Mathematics Standard:
CCS S.Math. Content.2.MD.A. 1
Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks,
meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

Math. Content.2.MD.A.4
Measure to deterrnine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in
terms of a standard length unit.
C C S S.

Objective:
Students will be able to construct their own non-standard rulen and make connections to
standard rulers in terms of unlt size.
Students will be able to explain the same unit of measure is the same size
Students will be able to explain the proper way to line up an item and ruler to accurately
deterrnine lenEth of an object

Description of content & Prior Knowledge & Mathematical Practices

Think:
r Students have had some introduction to measuring lenEth using a ruler but are not
farniliar with hash tags on a ruler or the concepts of unlt/segments on the standard

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ruler.
To activate prior knowledge, students will be introduced to a picture on the board and
asked what we would use to find out it length.
lntroduce the concepts that we measure an item using units or segments, which
correspond to the units on a ruler. For example, I can measure the unit on the board
using same sized units such as post it notes.
StudeqtS wtfuliscover how to measure an item using segments onlv

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Key oncepts-how do we line up our segments to get accurrte me$sure

Students will create a ruler by gluing segments onto a cardboard strip and assigning
value to each segment
Key cancept- there qre not spaces between segments on a ruler, each unit counts as a
certain interval
Students will work with a partner to measure objects and record length using nonstandard ruler they :nake.
Key concep*ls it easier to rne*sure using segments or wsing the ruler we rnede? Why?
Haw do we line up a ruler when we $,?e measuring an item? What happens if we do not

lntroduction 5O-6O minute lesson {part I of 2 day lesson)

Launch 5 minutes
Think:

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Students will come toEether on the rug for math lesson and will call attention to the
picture of the pencil on the board.
I will generate interest and excitement by telling the students "Boys and Cirls, today we
are going to measure the pencil on the board using things that we find around the
classroom!"
r Let's try it, the first thinE l'm Eoing to use is this eraser. This is called my unit of
measurement.
r To measure something, I keep the measure of the unit and count.
r The pencil is approximately 4 units long.
e l-et's try it again r,rsing the pencil.
. So the pencil is my unit of measurernent
. Let's count it length, I, 2, 3 units long.
Mini lesson Think (10 min)
Minutes)
. So after what we just saw, do you think that I could measure the pencil using post-it
notes?
e What would I call the post it notes?
r (units)
. Teacher: What do we notice about these units?
. Teacher "Turn and talk with your partner?"
. My units are the same size and shape.
. Teacher: To get an accurate measurement, rny units need to be sarne.
. What do we notice ahout these units?
r Teacher will clarifo sarne size and shape.
. Using our post it notes, where should we start if we want to measure accurately?
. Teacher: "Turn and talk to your partner"
r Wow, l'm hearing a lot of people say they should start at the end of the pencil.
. Looking at the board what is the length of the pencils using our unit*the post it note.
Now.we are going to go back to oun desks and explore measurement using segrnents.
". On
our desk you will find this activity sheet and demonstrate on the board, several items
in a basket and our units of measurement.
r Notice they are just like my post it notes but smaller.
r lwant everyone to practlce what we did on the board using the units in the basket.
These units are called segments.

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will participate in group activity to explore measuring using

segments/units on their own. Teacher will rnove from group to group assisting
BREAK: students

and assessing.
{see partner activity}
Aftcr l{) minrrtcs-

just their paper.

Boys and girls return to carpet with

Let's look at the first one.

Teacher: Was this easy to do or was it kind of hard to move our segments around?'
Teacher: I think it can be hard because sometimes, when I try to measure using my
segments, I have spaces between the segments."
"Did that happen to anyoneT'
"Who can tell me how they lined up their first segment, whert measuring, where did you

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staftr'

Teaching Point: To measure accurately, we need to line up our segments at the

beginning of the item being measured and make sure we do not have spaces between
the segments.
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BREAK 2: Students will work in groups to huild their own non-standard ruler
See Partner activity for details.
Boys and Girls, you are going to go back to your seats and make a ruler using these
segments as our units of measure.
At your seat you will find a glue stick and seEments, your job is to go back and create
your own ruler by gluing the segments on to the paper, similar to what I did with the

post it notes.
After completing, students will return to the carpet to discuss: "What daes aur ruler look
like?" "Are there spaes beween our segmertts?" " llfhat happens if there orre Segments?"
Do you think it is eqsier to mefrsure asi*g the ruler or the individual segments?"
Teacher will demonstrate how to use our ruler to line up object, just like the
segments that use my home made ruler or post it notes.
Teacher will demonstrate how we can label our segments I throuEh I0.
Itlhy isnt I at the end of the ruler, why is it over here?
Students will be instructed to return to their se&t to label the ruler just like I did and re
rneasure items on activity sheetwork
Break 3: Students work in groups to measure items on the activity sheet.

Explore/Development ffotal of 3O minutes)

(tr

minutes each ativity)

Think: (10-I 2 minutes)

r Part I: Student will return to their seat and will work with their group or 3 or 4 to
measure and record several items using (10) one inch segment blocks.
r Miss Juliano and I will walk around to help students, this wlll serve as forrnative
assessment.
. Teacher will remind student to compare measurements with their partner (note, some
students may not be measuring accurately.
r NOTE: lF someone gets a different measurement, ask why they think that happned, call
attention to the spaces and the u,ay it lines up.
. Key oncepts will be: how did we line $p our segmefit, was there space between them.
. Parr 2: Student will return to their seats and work in groups of four gluing units onto
their "ruler."
that are done early can help their partner or explore measurinE
". Those
Once completed we will return to the carpet to discuss "bl/hat daes our ruler look like?"
"Are there spaces between our segmerttsT" " Whot happens if there are segrnents?"
r Part 3: Students will work in groups to measure items on the activity sheet and discuss
and label ruler.
r They will dlscuss with their partner if they finish early.
o Boys and girl let's regtroup on the carpet with our ruler and our activity sheet.

eiosure
Think:

Students will return to the carpet with their activity sheets and rulers
Teacher will quickly review answers
Did we get the same answer using the segments and rulers?
Which was easier to use?
Why was the ruler easier to use?
Key points: we will stress that its easier to use the ruler, the segments move and Eets
rpicbs between them. The ruler is more accurate because our unit are in place.
Tlacher will reiterate key ideas: "students begin measuring an item at zero." "There is
no spaces between segwrents/units af a ruler" "segments on a ruler correspond to
segments on a standard raler."
Exit ticket for collection

Assessment
Think:

Since this is part of a 2 day lesson, I will assess in 2 ways

Formative assessment as I move around the room during the grOup activity
Formative assessment as I collect the exit ticket to see where students are
strugglinglsucceed ing

Resources
o I 5 strips of cardstock for the ruler
. 1 50 segment pieces cut out of construction paper (10 segments for each student)
. I5 glue sticks
notes for lesson
"r Post-it
Picture to measure
. I ruler for demonstration
. 4 packets of items to be shared in groups
15 activity sheets

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lnclusive lnstruction
Think:

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My class has several students with IEP's including, hyperactivity and sensitivity, ESL,
dyslexia, and few that have difficurlty making connections.
This lesson applies visual, audio and kinesthetic application
I designed the lesson to address the energy level by allowing the students to
"understand throug h exploration".
The student will be working in groups, to encourage student helping students
As I walk around and assess, I can make changes, where I feel they are necessaryDuring our closure, I will address hyperactivity and engagement by inviting the students
to stand up and discuss and demonstrate their answers-

Applications and Extensions

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This is the first part of a two day lesson- Next, the students wilX treasure gurnmy
worms, noticing the changes in length.
Stretch your gummy worm as far as you can without breaking it
Measure the stretched gummy worm
What is the difference in length between the original and stretched gummy worm?
Daearcl finrlinnc