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Communicating

Measuring  - Size Matters

Element

Communicating

a
The learner

Demonstrates awareness of measurable attributes of everyday

objects and items.

b
The learner

Uses appropriate vocabulary to describe and then compare measurable attributes.

04.

c
The learner

Describes and discriminates between items using appropriate comparative language.

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/dbc15839-5737-489c-8c4e-ec75dfba5819/PMC_PC5_Measures_Measuring.pdfnce.pdf

Language

 

Long, short, tall, small, wide, narrow, high, low, longer, shorter, wider than, as long as, as wide as, longest, shortest

 

Activity One

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The teacher puts up a symbol card, e.g. the symbol card 'small', and says the word “small”. The students make themselves as small as they can. The different ways of making themselves small are discussed. "Who can make themselves the smallest?"

 

Extension: The different ways of making themselves small/tall are discussed. "Who can make themselves the widest/narrowest/tallest/shortest?"

 

Variation

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Put the symbol cards of the target language that you want to teach into the pockets of a foam die or use as a deck of cards. The student throws the die or draws a card.

​

  • If it lands on “tall”, the student makes themselves as tall as they can.

  • If it lands on “wide”, the student stretches their hands out as far as they can.

  • If it lands on “long”, the student shows a body part that is far from their foot.

  • If it lands on “short” the student shows a body part that is close to their nose, etc.

 

Activity Two

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Insert symbol cards of nonstandard units of measurement – e.g. pencils, spans, steps, strides, etc. – into the pockets of the die or use as a deck of cards. The students roll the die or draw a card. Give the students a measuring task.

 

  • If the die lands on “spans”:

    • How “long” is the desk in “spans”?

    • How “wide” is the classroom in “spans”?

  • If the die lands on “steps”:

    • How “wide” is the classroom in “steps”?

    • How “long” is the classroom in “steps”?

  • If the die lands on “strides”:

    • How “long” is the classroom in “strides”? etc.

 

The measurement result is tallied or noted in a table. Hold a teaching discussion about the measurement results. 

 

Discuss:

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  • Which units/instruments are best for measuring long objects?

  • Which units/instruments are best for measuring short objects?


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Activity Three

 

You achieve an extra degree of difficulty by adding the concepts 'not' and 'none' to the symbol cards. The term 'short' is then represented as 'not long'. 

The picture shows various pencils for Mathscify Communicating Task - Measuring - Size Matters

Take two containers or sorting mats and place a symbol card – e.g. “wide”, “not wide” (extension “narrow”) – on each.

 

  • Using the language “wide”, ask “Which objects from the classroom can we put on the different mats?” 

 

Turn the question around: as a teacher, put different objects on the mats.

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  • Ask the students to choose which symbol card can be attached to it. The students use the correct language, e.g. “wide”, “not wide”, when placing objects on the mats.


 

Extension

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  • Don't forget to symbolise the steps of comparison. In addition to a card representing high and low, make a visualisation of the concept of 'higher', 'lower'. Discuss the symbol and use of language with your students. 

  • Seriation cards instruct students to stand from big to small, and to line up objects from thick to thin, wide to narrow, deep to shallow, far to close, and high to low. 

  • Creating matrices with the vocabulary cards encourages logical thinking and immediately exercises vocabulary. 

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