Content Area: Math

 

Index: 4.2D Grade 5 CPI 4

 

Standard: 4.2 - Geometry and Measurement

 

Strand: D - Units of Measurement

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 4 - The student will use measurements and estimates to describe and compare phenomena.

 

Grade: 5

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        Students estimate the number of square centimeters in a triangle. Then they enclose the triangle in a rectangle and use centimeter cubes or a transparent square centimeter grid to find the area of the rectangle. They also count squares to find the area of the triangle and that of any other triangles formed by the rectangle. They look for a pattern in their results and compare their results to their estimates.

 

·        Students explain why the following is or is not reasonable: An average person can run one kilometer in one minute.

 

·        Students measure how long it takes to go 10 meters, first using "baby steps," then using normal steps, and finally using "giant steps." They then compare their rates.

 

·        Students measure the area of their foot by tracing around it on centimeter graph paper and counting the number of squares covered. To ease the counting task, students can color the squares completely inside the outline blue, those that are one half inside green, those that are one third inside yellow, and those that are one fourth inside orange. Then all of the like colored squares can be counted more easily and the various totals added to each other.

 

·        An interesting open ended group assessment project to use after the previous foot racing activity has been completed is to tell the students that Will Perdue (of the Chicago Bulls) wears a size 18 « shoe which measures 21 « inches long. Students are asked to use what they know about the areas of their own feet to estimate the area of his foot. Students who make a good estimate will deal with several issues: the fact that they have information about the length of their own feet, but only about the length of Will's shoe; the fact that as the foot gets longer, it also gets wider; and the issue of how to set up a proportion between appropriate quantities.