Teaching 4.MD.A.1 - Know Relative Sizes of Measurement Units Including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec.

Measurement & Data – 4th Grade

Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.MD.A.1
Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table. For example, know that 1 ft is 12 times as long as 1 in. Express the length of a 4 ft snake as 48 in. Generate a conversion table for feet and inches listing the number pairs (1, 12), (2, 24), (3, 36), ..

Teacher Notes
Students should know some benchmarks for units of measurement and when measuring objects, we must decide which unit (a smaller or larger unit) is most appropriate for expressing measurements.

Student Knowledge Goals

I know equivalent units within a system of measurement.
I know the relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units.
I know length is measured with meters (m), kilometers (km), centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), inches (in), feet (ft).
I know volume is measured with liters (l), milliliters (ml).
I know mass is measured with grams (g), kilograms (kg), ounces (oz), pounds (lb).
I know time is measured with hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds (sec).

I can reason about the measure of objects using benchmarks and mental images of the sizes of measurement units.

I can express and record larger units in terms of smaller units.
I can record measurement equivalencies in a two-column table.

Vocabulary

benchmark
centimeter (cm.)
convert
customary system
equivalent
estimate
gram (g.)
kilogram (kg.)
kilometer (km.)
liter (l.)
meter (m.)
metric system
millimeter (ml.)
minute (min.)
ounce (oz.)
pound (lb.)
second (sec.)
system of measurement
two-column table
unit

Lessons
Engage NY Module 7 A-1 –Create conversion tables for length, weight, and capacity units using measurement tools, and use the tables to solve problems.
Engage NY Module 7 A-2 – Create conversion tables for length, weight, and capacity units using measurement tools, and use the tables to solve problems.
Engage NY Module 7 A-3 - Create conversion tables for units of time, and use the tables to solve problems.
Engage NY Module 7 A-4 – Solve multiplicative comparison word problems using measurement conversion tables.

Student Video Lessons
The following Study Jams' Lessons are not necessarily 4th grade Common Core aligned, but they provide an excellent background and review for students.
Study Jams - Units of Measurement
Study Jams - US Customary Units of Measurement
Study Jams - Tools of Measurement
Study Jams - Measurement of Length
Study Jams - Measurement of Temperature
Study Jams - Time Conversions
Learn Zillion - Know relative sizes of measurement units
Virtual Nerd - Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec.

Online Games
Measurement Conversions

Printables
Measurement Conversions
Assessment Task 1
Assessment Task 2
Assessment Task 3
Assessment Task 4
Assessment Task 5
Assessment Task 6