Measurement with Jack and the Beanstalk- part 2

             I posted a few days ago about how I used Jack and the Beanstalk to get a better understanding of the students' background knowledge of measurement.  Keeping with the Jack and the Beanstalk theme, the students worked in groups to create a giant using non-standard units of measure, their feet.  Each group was responsible for making a different body part for the giant.  Since each group used a different student's feet to measure, the body parts came out different lengths.

Marking the starting point.

Measuring in "feet"

Drawing the body parts.

           Before we put the parts all together, we compared the 2 arms to each other and the 2 legs to each other.  Students who were not in the arm groups measured the arms with their feet, and, of course, they came up with different measurements.
     By the end of the discussion we had come to the conclusion that the parts were all different sizes because they were all measured with different feet.  If we want the parts to be the same length, we have to measure them with "the same feet," as one student said.

   This is absolutely one of my favorite lessons!  Coming up next, making a giant with "the same feet."  :)

Measurement with Jack and the Beanstalk

     I began this unit by reading Jack and the Beanstalk  to my students.  Then as with any book we read, the students answered a number of questions and retold the story.  Next, I asked the students to tell me different characters and important things from the story.  Each thing they told me, I wrote on a note card.  The students then put three or four of the cards in order from lightest to heaviest, shortest to tallest, and so on.

       


          Next, we created a chart of the characters and objects from the story, what we could measure on the characters, and what we would use to measure them.  I used this to get an insight into what the students already knew and where I needed to go with my teaching.

 The next step in this unit is for the students to use their feet to measure out parts of a giant.  I can't wait to put those pictures on here.  That is always a super fun activity!