Measure in Halves of an Inch

10 min

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is to invite students to share what they know about inches. Later in the lesson, students will explore lengths that are not a whole-number of inches.

Launch

  • Display the question.
  • “What do you know about inches?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
  • Record responses.

Student Task

What do you know about inches?
Solution Steps (1)
  1. 1
    Recall knowledge about inches
    →Inches are used to measure length, found on rulers/yardsticks, shorter than feet, longer than centimeters

Sample Response

Sample responses:
  • They are used to measure length.
  • There are inch marks on rulers, yardsticks, and tape measures.
  • They are shorter than feet.
  • They are longer than centimeters.
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
  • “Inches are a unit we use to measure length. What are some lengths that we could use inches to measure?“ (the length of a shoe, the length of material for an art project, the height of a desk)
Standards
Building On
  • 2.MD.3·Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
  • 2.MD.A.3·Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
Building Toward
  • 3.MD.4·Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.
  • 3.MD.B.4·Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units–-whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

15 min

20 min