Showing posts with label measurement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label measurement. Show all posts
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Pi Day is Today!
Photo © Mykl Roventine.
Today, March 14th, is Pi Day. No, that's not a typo. It is Pi day, as in 3.14159... you get the idea. The first Pi Day celebration was held at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988.
What is pi anyway? I'm sure you remember it from math in some formula you memorized, but do you really know what it is? Pi represents the relationship between a circle’s diameter (its width) and its circumference (the distance around the circle). Pi is always the same number, no matter the circle you use to compute it. In school we generally approximate pi to 3.14 in school, but professionals often use more decimal places and extend the number to 3.14159.
One activity I loved doing with students was to ask them to bring in a can and lid that would soon be recycled. I always brought in a few extras so that there would be a variety of sizes. Each student was given a lid and directed to measure the diameter and circumference. Students then divided the circumference by the diameter. We recorded the results on the overhead and discussed them. Most were amazed to find that the results were nearly the same, allowing for some margin of error in measurement. This is a quick and fun and provides a meaningful way to introduce the concept of pi.
Are you doing anything special for Pi Day? Perhaps you could make a pi necklace or a pi bracelet. Can you find your birthday in pi? My birthday begins with digit number 7669! Since any day is a good day for poetry, you could try reading some pi poems. If you're looking for more ideas, visit the Exploratorium pi site or try this middle school math newsletter.
Not a fan of pi? Check out my post entitled Pi Day is Tomorrow! But Should We Celebrate It? for a bit of information on the pi/tau wars.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Big and Little - Books in Which Size Matters
I love books that look at size and try to make the measurements concrete and understandable for kids (and adults). Here are a few of my favorites for looking at how large (or small) something really is.
I am CRAZY about the work done by Steve Jenkins. His size books are marvels, as are his comparative books. I can't say enough good things about them, so do check out these fantastic titles.
Actual Size, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - Do you want to go face-to-face (literally) with a Siberian tiger? How about an anteater's tongue? Would seeing a spider the size of a dinner plate frighten you? In this volume, Steve Jenkins turns his skills with paper toward illustrating entire animals or large features of others. Readers can not only place their hands against a gorilla's palm to see how it fits, but also compare themselves to a variety of other animals. The illustrated back matter depicts each animal (in full) and is accompanied by a description of the creature.
Prehistoric Actual Size, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - Following on the heels of Actual Size, this book features interesting aspects of prehistoric figures.
Big and Little, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - This book offers pairs of animals that are related but vastly different in size.
I am CRAZY about the work done by Steve Jenkins. His size books are marvels, as are his comparative books. I can't say enough good things about them, so do check out these fantastic titles.
Actual Size, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - Do you want to go face-to-face (literally) with a Siberian tiger? How about an anteater's tongue? Would seeing a spider the size of a dinner plate frighten you? In this volume, Steve Jenkins turns his skills with paper toward illustrating entire animals or large features of others. Readers can not only place their hands against a gorilla's palm to see how it fits, but also compare themselves to a variety of other animals. The illustrated back matter depicts each animal (in full) and is accompanied by a description of the creature.
Prehistoric Actual Size, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - Following on the heels of Actual Size, this book features interesting aspects of prehistoric figures.Big and Little, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins - This book offers pairs of animals that are related but vastly different in size.
How Big Is It?: A BIG Book All About BIGness, written by Ben Hillman - How big is a polar bear? You can read all about how heavy and how big the world's largest carnivore is, but until you see it standing on its hind legs towering over an NBA regulation basket, it's hard to really understand. The beauty of this book is that in answering the question "How big is it?", Hillman shows readers by juxtaposing the thing under consideration with an object more familiar. Comparisons include the Quetzalcoatlus (extinct flying reptile) with an F-18 Hornet fighter jet, the Arecibo Radio Telescope with the Eiffel Tower stretched across its diameter, California redwoods against the Brooklyn skyline, and more. (You can view some excerpts at Hillman's web site.)
Robert Wells has written and illustrated two wonderful books about size comparisons.
Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?, written and illustrated by Robert Wells - If you thought a blue whale was big, think again. Just the flukes of this creature are bigger than most other creatures on Earth. But how does the blue whale compare to other "big" things." How does it compare to Mount Everest? How does Mount Everest compare to the Earth? How does the Earth compare to the sun? Wells' illustrations show readers just how big some things in are universe really are.
What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?, written and illustrated by Robert Wells - While a pygmy shrew can fit in your hand, there are still much smaller things in this world. Moving in the opposite direction of Is a Blue What the Biggest Thing There Is?, Wells introduces readers to increasingly smaller and smaller objects. After the shrew we see a ladybug, protozoa, molecules, atoms, and more.
A Pig is Big, written and illustrated by Douglas Florian - "What's big?" That's the question that opens this book. The pig on the cover asks the question and then compares himself to cows, cars, trucks, streets, the neighborhood, the city, the earth, and the universe. This text provides a nice study on relative size.Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Annotated Bib - Standard and Non-Standard Measurement
Throughout history, man has used ingenuity to make measurements. Even with the creation of standard units, non-standard units of measurement are still effective so long as they are used to measure all objects in a given set for comparison.
Books
Cook-a-Doodle Doo!. Auth. by Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel. 48 pages. Sandpiper. 2005. (978-0152056582). Gr. K-2.
A boisterous romp as four animal friends set out to bake a strawberry shortcake. Rooster, tired of pecking for chicken feed, remembers that his famous great-grandmother (the Little Red Hen) wrote a cookbook, and in it he finds the recipe. Turtle, Iguana and Pig volunteer to help. If left solely to the text, the rest of the comedy-cum-cookery lesson would be fairly predictable: Turtle, reading the recipe, announces they need flour and Iguana rushes outside to pick a petunia; asked to beat an egg, Iguana hoists a baseball bat. (Handsomely illustrated sidebars explain most of the directions in depth.) Rooster sets Iguana straight while Pig keeps wanting to taste everything in sight.
How Big is a Foot?. Auth. by Rolf Myller. 48 pages. Yearling. 2001. (978-0440404958). Gr. K-2.
This story is an excellent source to use with children who are beginning to learn about measurement. It enables them to see that there is a need for a standard unit of measure in the world. It is an amusing tale that will start children thinking without them knowing it!
How Tall, How Short, How Far Away?. By David Adler. Illus. by Nancy Tobin. 28 pages. Holiday House. 2000. (978-0823416325). Gr. K-2.
This graphically dynamic volume introduces the concept of measurement. Adler explains how systems of measuring developed in ancient Egypt and Rome; how measurements became standardized; the origin of the metric system; and methods of measuring length, height, and distance. Bold color and creative design (especially the backgrounds of subtly designed rulers) give the pages visual zip. At the same time, the text's simplicity makes the ideas clear and easy to follow. A good basic book for children who are learning measurement using either the customary or metric system or (more likely) both.
Measuring Penny. Auth. by Loreen Leedy. 32 pages. Henry Holt and Company. 2000. (978-0805065725). Gr. K-4.
Lisa has a homework assignment to measure something in as many ways as she can, using standard and nonstandard units. "Use your imagination!" is the last instruction the teacher gives the students. Lisa chooses her Boston terrier and the fun begins. She measures Penny and a variety of other dogs. In the process, readers learn that Penny's nose is one inch long. Her tail is one biscuit long. She is bigger than a pug, smaller than a cocker spaniel, and weighs about the same as a Shetland Sheepdog. Lisa measures how much her pet eats, how high she jumps, how much time it takes to care for her, how much money is invested in her, how fast Penny runs, and a variety of other doggie traits.
Millions to Measure. Auth. by David Schwartz. Illus. by Steven Kellogg. 40 pages. HarperCollins. 2006. (978-0060848064). Gr. 1-5.
The book traces the development of standard units of measure for distance, weight, and volume, then describes the development of the metric system in the late 1700s. A three-page appendix offers more in-depth information about the metric system. Kellogg's trademark whimsical illustrations clarify the concepts presented. As in the previous books, Schwartz presents them in a logical, step-by-step progression, with plenty of examples to provide practical context. The text is clear and brief enough for classroom presentation.
Websites
Dinosaur Train - Non-Standard Measuring
How many great white sharks long is a Brachiosaurus?
How Tall?
With the help of Curious George, students can test their skills with non-standard measurements.
Puppy Clifford - Measuring
Students use visual estimations to identify the largest or smallest object in a set of objects.
Sal's Sub Shop
Fast paced race against time to satisfy your very "particular" customers. Standard measurements for accuracy. Get it right and make a profit, mistakes could cost you customers. Good Luck!
Weigh it Up
This interactive game gives students the challenge of trying to balance objects on a scale (each shape with a different weight)
For the Teacher
Virginia SOL
1.9 The student will use nonstandard units to measure length, weight/mass, and volume.
Background Information From the Curriculum Framework
Books
Cook-a-Doodle Doo!. Auth. by Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel. 48 pages. Sandpiper. 2005. (978-0152056582). Gr. K-2.A boisterous romp as four animal friends set out to bake a strawberry shortcake. Rooster, tired of pecking for chicken feed, remembers that his famous great-grandmother (the Little Red Hen) wrote a cookbook, and in it he finds the recipe. Turtle, Iguana and Pig volunteer to help. If left solely to the text, the rest of the comedy-cum-cookery lesson would be fairly predictable: Turtle, reading the recipe, announces they need flour and Iguana rushes outside to pick a petunia; asked to beat an egg, Iguana hoists a baseball bat. (Handsomely illustrated sidebars explain most of the directions in depth.) Rooster sets Iguana straight while Pig keeps wanting to taste everything in sight.
How Big is a Foot?. Auth. by Rolf Myller. 48 pages. Yearling. 2001. (978-0440404958). Gr. K-2.
This story is an excellent source to use with children who are beginning to learn about measurement. It enables them to see that there is a need for a standard unit of measure in the world. It is an amusing tale that will start children thinking without them knowing it!
How Tall, How Short, How Far Away?. By David Adler. Illus. by Nancy Tobin. 28 pages. Holiday House. 2000. (978-0823416325). Gr. K-2.
This graphically dynamic volume introduces the concept of measurement. Adler explains how systems of measuring developed in ancient Egypt and Rome; how measurements became standardized; the origin of the metric system; and methods of measuring length, height, and distance. Bold color and creative design (especially the backgrounds of subtly designed rulers) give the pages visual zip. At the same time, the text's simplicity makes the ideas clear and easy to follow. A good basic book for children who are learning measurement using either the customary or metric system or (more likely) both.
Measuring Penny. Auth. by Loreen Leedy. 32 pages. Henry Holt and Company. 2000. (978-0805065725). Gr. K-4.Lisa has a homework assignment to measure something in as many ways as she can, using standard and nonstandard units. "Use your imagination!" is the last instruction the teacher gives the students. Lisa chooses her Boston terrier and the fun begins. She measures Penny and a variety of other dogs. In the process, readers learn that Penny's nose is one inch long. Her tail is one biscuit long. She is bigger than a pug, smaller than a cocker spaniel, and weighs about the same as a Shetland Sheepdog. Lisa measures how much her pet eats, how high she jumps, how much time it takes to care for her, how much money is invested in her, how fast Penny runs, and a variety of other doggie traits.
Millions to Measure. Auth. by David Schwartz. Illus. by Steven Kellogg. 40 pages. HarperCollins. 2006. (978-0060848064). Gr. 1-5.
The book traces the development of standard units of measure for distance, weight, and volume, then describes the development of the metric system in the late 1700s. A three-page appendix offers more in-depth information about the metric system. Kellogg's trademark whimsical illustrations clarify the concepts presented. As in the previous books, Schwartz presents them in a logical, step-by-step progression, with plenty of examples to provide practical context. The text is clear and brief enough for classroom presentation.
Websites
Dinosaur Train - Non-Standard Measuring
How many great white sharks long is a Brachiosaurus?
How Tall?
With the help of Curious George, students can test their skills with non-standard measurements.
Puppy Clifford - Measuring
Students use visual estimations to identify the largest or smallest object in a set of objects.
Sal's Sub Shop
Fast paced race against time to satisfy your very "particular" customers. Standard measurements for accuracy. Get it right and make a profit, mistakes could cost you customers. Good Luck!
Weigh it Up
This interactive game gives students the challenge of trying to balance objects on a scale (each shape with a different weight)
For the Teacher
Virginia SOL
1.9 The student will use nonstandard units to measure length, weight/mass, and volume.
Background Information From the Curriculum Framework
- The process of measurement involves selecting a unit of measure, comparing the unit to the object to be measured, counting the number of times the unit is used to measure the object, and arriving at an approximate total number of units.
- Premature use of instruments or formulas leaves children without the understanding necessary for solving measurement problems.
- When children’s initial explorations of length, weight/mass, and volume involve the use of nonstandard units, they develop some understanding about the need for standard measurement units for length, weight/mass, and volume especially when they communicate about these measures.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Annotated Bib - Time
Telling time falls under the measurement unit of math. What we think of telling time encompasses a lot more then just telling time on a clock. Time is also related to days of the week, months and calendar. Children can learn a lot about time and should start learning about it at the beginning of the year and throughout the entire school year. Time is more important for kids to learn today because of the digital world that we live in. We need kids to understand how to tell time on an analogue clock and to understand how it works and is also related to calendar. The books listed here are helpful for students anywhere from first to second grade.
Books
A Second is A Hiccup. By Hazel Hutchins. Illus. by Kady Macdonald Denton. 2004. 40p. Arthur A. Levine Books, (978-0439831062). Gr. 1-2.
This is such a fun book about time. It starts off by asking how long a second is, and then continues throughout asking questions about how long a day is, how long a week, how long a month is etc. After each question is posed, they give examples of what could take that long. This book covers seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and a year. This is a great book to get students thinking about time and calendar.
All In A Day. By Cynthia Rylant. Illus. by Nikki McClure. 2009. 32p. Abrams Books for Young Readers, (978-0810983212). Gr. K-3.
This is a really great book about what happens in a day. The illustrations are very different and really eye catching. This is a great book for kids to use in relation to calendar and when talking about the hours in a day. They mention morning time and evening in addition to past and future. An easy and fun read for kids.
Bats Around the Clock. By Kathi Appelt. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 2000. 32p. HarperCollins, (978-0688164690). Gr. 1-2.
I loved this book! This book starts with an introduction to Click Dark, the band stand host who is leading us through a twelve hour program. Each page has a clock and shows the different hours that the bats are dancing. There is lots of rhyming and the illustrations are great. A super fun read for kids.
Clocks and More Clocks. By Pat Hutchins. Illus. by author. 1970. 32p. Macmillan Publishing Company, (978-0689717697). Gr. 2-3.
Although an older book, this is a great story for kids who are learning about time. Pat plays with the students minds as they try to figure out why each clock in the gentleman's house is off by a minute or two. By the end of the story you realize it is because that is how long it takes the man to get from the top of the house to the living room. This book is also great because he page contains a clock for students to read.
Five Minutes' Peace. By Jill Murphy. Illus. by author. 1986. 32p. Walker Books, (
978-1406320831). Gr.K-2.
This is another adorable story about time. Mrs. Large simply wants just 5 minutes to herself without her children around and that seems too much to ask. Her children keep coming in to ask her if they can do something for a minute or show her something. She ends up going back into the kitchen for just under 3 minutes peace and quiet.
Me Counting Time: From Seconds to Centuries. By Joan Sweeney. Illus. by Annette Cable. 2000. 32p. Crown Publishers, Inc. (978-0440417514). Gr.K-2.
In this book we learn a lot about time and calendar. A young girl is making plans for her seventh birthday and thinking about how she got to that age. This books covers all the calendar elements as well as actual time. The end also lists all the time vocabulary that was used and the actual numerical values that go with them (ie: 7 days=1 week).
Tuesday. By David Wiesner. Illus. by author. 1991. 32p. Clarion Books, (978-0395551134). Gr.K-3.
This is a beautiful picture book about events that took place on a Tuesday. The only words that are written in this book are the times that the events are taking place. Kids will have a fun time envisioning the events taking place when reading this book. This book was awarded a Caldecott Medal and you'll see why when reading this book.
Web Resources
Calendar Activity
This is a fun website that allows students to practice their calendar skills. They are given a calendar and asked several questions. This site does require Java plug in.
Songs for Teaching
This link will take you to a fun song to help students learn days of the week! They have a sample of the song but you could easily put it to other music. This website offers several songs for ALL the calendar options.
Telling Time Worksheets
This is another great website resource for teachers. It contains several different worksheets for telling time. There are options for simple telling time by the hour, drawing in hands, quarter hour etc. There are several links on the page so you can decide what is going to be best for you.
Telling Time Bingo Lesson Plan
This website is a lesson plan for teachers on how to play telling time bingo! I thought this was a fun way to get students active and enjoying telling time. This could be taught whole group or placed at a math station for older students.
Time-For-Time
This is a GREAT websites with LOTS of different things to help teachers and students learn telling time concepts. The link I've selected and put here takes you to a large clock that you can manipulate the hours, minutes etc. As you alter the clock, the background changes according to AM/PM and shows the sun and the moon. There is also an option to show/hide a digital clock to represent the time you've selected.
What Time Is It?
Another great game for students! This game shows students an analogue clock with a time that they must match to the correct digital time clock underneath. This will give students great practice with analogue clocks.
For Teachers
Virginia Standards of Learning
2.12 The student will tell and write time to the nearest five minutes, using analog and digital clocks.
2.13 The student will
a) determine past and future days of the week; and
b) identify specific days and dates on a given calendar
Background Information from Curriculum Framework
• Telling time requires reading a clock. The position
of the two hands on an analog clock is read to tell
the time. A digital clock shows the time by
displaying the time in numbers which are read as the
hour and minutes.
• The calendar is a way to represent units of time
(e.g., days, weeks, and months).
• Using a calendar develops the concept of day as a
24-hour period rather than a period of time from
sunrise to sunset
Books
A Second is A Hiccup. By Hazel Hutchins. Illus. by Kady Macdonald Denton. 2004. 40p. Arthur A. Levine Books, (978-0439831062). Gr. 1-2.This is such a fun book about time. It starts off by asking how long a second is, and then continues throughout asking questions about how long a day is, how long a week, how long a month is etc. After each question is posed, they give examples of what could take that long. This book covers seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and a year. This is a great book to get students thinking about time and calendar.
All In A Day. By Cynthia Rylant. Illus. by Nikki McClure. 2009. 32p. Abrams Books for Young Readers, (978-0810983212). Gr. K-3.
This is a really great book about what happens in a day. The illustrations are very different and really eye catching. This is a great book for kids to use in relation to calendar and when talking about the hours in a day. They mention morning time and evening in addition to past and future. An easy and fun read for kids.
Bats Around the Clock. By Kathi Appelt. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 2000. 32p. HarperCollins, (978-0688164690). Gr. 1-2.I loved this book! This book starts with an introduction to Click Dark, the band stand host who is leading us through a twelve hour program. Each page has a clock and shows the different hours that the bats are dancing. There is lots of rhyming and the illustrations are great. A super fun read for kids.
Clocks and More Clocks. By Pat Hutchins. Illus. by author. 1970. 32p. Macmillan Publishing Company, (978-0689717697). Gr. 2-3.
Although an older book, this is a great story for kids who are learning about time. Pat plays with the students minds as they try to figure out why each clock in the gentleman's house is off by a minute or two. By the end of the story you realize it is because that is how long it takes the man to get from the top of the house to the living room. This book is also great because he page contains a clock for students to read.
Five Minutes' Peace. By Jill Murphy. Illus. by author. 1986. 32p. Walker Books, (
978-1406320831). Gr.K-2.This is another adorable story about time. Mrs. Large simply wants just 5 minutes to herself without her children around and that seems too much to ask. Her children keep coming in to ask her if they can do something for a minute or show her something. She ends up going back into the kitchen for just under 3 minutes peace and quiet.
Me Counting Time: From Seconds to Centuries. By Joan Sweeney. Illus. by Annette Cable. 2000. 32p. Crown Publishers, Inc. (978-0440417514). Gr.K-2.
In this book we learn a lot about time and calendar. A young girl is making plans for her seventh birthday and thinking about how she got to that age. This books covers all the calendar elements as well as actual time. The end also lists all the time vocabulary that was used and the actual numerical values that go with them (ie: 7 days=1 week).
Tuesday. By David Wiesner. Illus. by author. 1991. 32p. Clarion Books, (978-0395551134). Gr.K-3.This is a beautiful picture book about events that took place on a Tuesday. The only words that are written in this book are the times that the events are taking place. Kids will have a fun time envisioning the events taking place when reading this book. This book was awarded a Caldecott Medal and you'll see why when reading this book.
Web Resources
Calendar Activity
This is a fun website that allows students to practice their calendar skills. They are given a calendar and asked several questions. This site does require Java plug in.
Songs for Teaching
This link will take you to a fun song to help students learn days of the week! They have a sample of the song but you could easily put it to other music. This website offers several songs for ALL the calendar options.
Telling Time Worksheets
This is another great website resource for teachers. It contains several different worksheets for telling time. There are options for simple telling time by the hour, drawing in hands, quarter hour etc. There are several links on the page so you can decide what is going to be best for you.
Telling Time Bingo Lesson Plan
This website is a lesson plan for teachers on how to play telling time bingo! I thought this was a fun way to get students active and enjoying telling time. This could be taught whole group or placed at a math station for older students.
Time-For-Time
This is a GREAT websites with LOTS of different things to help teachers and students learn telling time concepts. The link I've selected and put here takes you to a large clock that you can manipulate the hours, minutes etc. As you alter the clock, the background changes according to AM/PM and shows the sun and the moon. There is also an option to show/hide a digital clock to represent the time you've selected.
What Time Is It?
Another great game for students! This game shows students an analogue clock with a time that they must match to the correct digital time clock underneath. This will give students great practice with analogue clocks.
For Teachers
Virginia Standards of Learning
2.12 The student will tell and write time to the nearest five minutes, using analog and digital clocks.
2.13 The student will
a) determine past and future days of the week; and
b) identify specific days and dates on a given calendar
Background Information from Curriculum Framework
• Telling time requires reading a clock. The position
of the two hands on an analog clock is read to tell
the time. A digital clock shows the time by
displaying the time in numbers which are read as the
hour and minutes.
• The calendar is a way to represent units of time
(e.g., days, weeks, and months).
• Using a calendar develops the concept of day as a
24-hour period rather than a period of time from
sunrise to sunset
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