Lesson Plan

Title It’s Raining Cats and Dogs/ Line plot activity

Subject Measurement
Author Markers and Mason Jars (Teacher pay Teacher)
Grade level Grades 1-3
Time duration 15/20 Minutes
Overview Students who are taught using hands-on teaching methods with
manipulatives perform better that those who are not. It is true for
many subjects but in mathematics knowledge and skills are the most
important predictor not only for later math achievement but also for
achievement in other content areas.
Math is believed to be a subject that relies on memorization of facts
and practicing skills, but the true test in mathematics comes when a
student must figure out an answer but can’t remember a fact or has
forgotten a skill. Hands-on learning drives authentic understanding
and application versus memorization algorithms, or “tricks.” Students
who use manipulatives create physical evidence of thinking and
reasoning, solve problems, and make sense of mathematical ideas

Objective To measure each item on worksheet, keep tally and finish with plot line.
Students may continue to dig deeper with the word problem worksheet if
they finish before others.
Materials Double sided rulers with inches and centimeters, worksheets with the
items to measure, one tally chart, one plot line, and one dig deeper
worksheet, (one for inches one for centimeters).
Activities and procedures Two versions on depending on if students want to measure in inches or
centimeters (or both) Measure all the objects on their worksheet and use a
tally chart to keep track of what has been measured. Students will then use
this data to create a line plot. There are also word problems if students
want to dig deeper.
Conclusions Students will learn by manipulatives in a hands-on experience in
measurements. Later students will be able to use these learnings in later
and more advanced math, and everyday life.
Extra credit Find other objects in room and make a tally sheet and plot line.
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