Measure with Standard Units: Short Lengths

Measure Body Parts. Have pairs of students draw an outline of their bodies on large pieces of butcher paper. Then have students measure their body parts in inches and centimeters and write the measurements on their outlines. Students can help each other measure and then compare measurements.

Play Ruler Races. This game provides practice with drawing and measuring inches and centimeters. Give student pairs a number cube, a ruler with inches and centimeters, two pieces of paper, and several crayons. Students play the first game using inches and the second game with centimeters. The object of the game is to start at one edge of the paper and then draw a line to reach the other side of the paper. Students roll a die to determine the length of the line to be drawn (1 in., 2 in., 3 in., etc.). With each roll, ask students to use a different color crayon to add the new length to their line. The first student to span the page wins. After they finish playing using inches, students may repeat the game using centimeters.