Metric Olympics
Activity Summary:
The students will participate in some simple physical activities to practice skills in measurement and metric conversion.
Subject:
Math: Numbers and Operations, Measurement
Grade Level:
Target Grade: 6
Time Required: One class period
Materials:
· Worksheet for each student
· A large area outside for the three stations to be set up, near an outside wall
· A metric ruler and two meter sticks or metric tape measures
· Cones or string to mark starting points
· Chalk
· Dowel rod or pencil
· Three large washers
Activity Plan:
· Each student gets a worksheet
· Start about 1/3 of the students at each station:
o Long jump:
- Starting line marked in the grass with string, cone, etc.
- One student does a standing long jump from the starting point
- Another student measures from the starting point to the back of the foot and the jumper records their distance in meters, to the nearest hundredth
- Repeat for each student, rotating through each task (jumper, measurer, and judges)
o Vertical jump:
- The first student holds chalk in their hand and marks the wall with arm stretched upward to the highest point they can reach.
- The student jumps straight up and tries to mark the wall as high as they can.
- Another student measures from original mark to top mark (may need a stool or chair) and the jumper records their measurement in centimeters, to the nearest tenth
- Repeat for each student, rotating through each task (jumper, measurer, and judges)
o Washer toss:
- Insert a dowel rod or pencil into the ground and mark a tossing point with string or cones
- First student tosses the three washers toward the rod, trying to make them land as close to it as possible
- Another student measures the distance from the center of the closest washer to the dowel rod with a metric ruler and the tosser records the distance in centimeters, to the nearest tenth
- Repeat for each student, rotating through each task (tosser, measurer, and judges)
· The three groups of students rotate through each station.
· Then, the students convert their measurements as follows:
o Long jump: convert meters to centimeters (divide by 100)
o Vertical jump: convert centimeters to meters (multiply by 100)
o Washer toss: convert centimeters to millimeters (divide by 10)
· The teacher collects the worksheets and decides on winners for boys and girls.
Assessment:
The teacher should make sure that the measurements were reasonable and the conversions are correct.
TEKS:
6.2 (D) Estimate and round to approximate results
6.8 (A) Estimate measurements and evaluate reasonableness of results
6.8 (B) Measure length, area, time, temperature, capacity, and weight
6.8 (D) Convert measures within the same measurement system
6.11 (A) Identify and apply mathematics to everyday experiences
Authors:
Undergraduate Fellow Name: Ryan Newman
Graduate Fellow Name: Michael Karka
Date Submitted: ___
Date Last Edited: 11/23/05