Attributes/Measurement

Strand: Shape and Space (Measurement)
Outcome: 1

Step 3: Plan for Instruction

Guiding Questions

What learning opportunities and experiences should I provide to promote learning of the outcomes and permit students to demonstrate their learning?
What teaching strategies and resources should I use?
How will I meet the diverse learning needs of my students?

A. Assessing Prior Knowledge and Skills

Before introducing new material, consider ways to assess and build on students' knowledge and skills related to measurement. For example:

Show students two trains and ask which is longer. Ask them to explain how they know.
Ask two students to stand up and have the others tell you who is taller, who is shorter and how they know.
Give two objects to students; e.g., a can of soup and a pencil. Which is lighter and which is heavier?
Show students two items; e.g., a garbage can and a glass. Ask them which holds more.

If a student appears to have difficulty with these tasks, consider further individual assessment, such as a structured interview, to determine the student's level of skill and understanding.

Sample Structured Interview: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Skills

B. Choosing Instructional Strategies

Consider the following strategies when planning lessons.

Whenever possible, the measurement activities should involve some physical materials.
Students should communicate their understanding of measurement in various ways.
To motivate students, use familiar objects as consistent units of measurement.
Encourage students to develop intuitive notions for length, mass and volume, using direct comparison with consistent units, not standard units (e.g., metre stick).
Expect students to explain, verbally, how they determined their measurements.
Provide opportunities for students to make estimates and then check their predictions whenever possible.
In making a measurement, students must begin by deciding what attribute of an object they are going to measure, select a unit to measure that attribute with and measure the attribute by comparing the units with the attribute.

C. Choosing Learning Activities

Learning Activities are examples of activities that could be used to develop student understanding of the concepts identified in Step 1.

Sample Learning Activities
Teaching Shape and Space	Download Activities