Activities to Teach Students to Compare and Convert Customary Units of Length
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Customary units of length refer to units of measurement traditionally used in the United States. These units include inches, feet, yards, and miles. In today’s world of global interaction, it is important to teach students how to convert these units from one to the other. Furthermore, it is necessary to incorporate fun and interactive activities to make learning enjoyable. Here are some engaging activities to teach students how to compare and convert customary units of length:
1. The Body Ruler:
A fun and interactive activity to get students excited about measuring is the “body ruler.” In this activity, students work in pairs to measure each other using different units of length. Students can use inches, feet, or yards to measure the length of their partner’s arm, leg, or any other part of their body. To make the activity more challenging, students can convert the measurements from one unit to the other. This not only teaches them how to convert units but also helps them develop measuring skills.
2. Picture Story:
Students can be asked to create a picture story that involves different units of length. For example, they can draw a picture of a marathon runner and indicate the distance they cover in miles. Alternatively, they can draw a picture of a person standing next to a tree and ask their peers to guess the height of the tree in feet. This activity helps students understand the application of different units of length and how to compare them.
3. Scavenger Hunt:
A scavenger hunt is an exciting way to teach students how to compare and convert different units of length. Teachers can create a list of items that students need to find within a certain distance (e.g. 10 yards) from their classroom. Students can use different units of length to measure the distance from the classroom and convert their measurements to other units. The student who finds the most items within the given distance and accurately converts their measurements wins.
4. Unit Match:
This is a matching game that helps students understand the relationship between different units of length. The teacher can create cards with different measurements using different units of length (inches, feet, yards, and miles). Students are then asked to match the cards with the same measurement but in a different unit of length. For example, students can match a card with 12 inches with a card with 1 foot.
5. Convert It:
In this activity, students are given different measurement problems to solve. For example, they can be asked to convert 6 feet to inches, or 3 miles to feet. This activity helps students practice converting units of length and reinforces their understanding of the relationship between different units.
In conclusion, teaching students to compare and convert customary units of length can be fun and engaging with the right activities. Using interactive games and real-world applications helps students develop a strong understanding of how to convert and compare different units of length while having fun.