Illustrative Mathematics
Longer and Heavier? Shorter and Heavier?
For many young children it seems obvious that longer objects are heavier than shorter objects. This assumption is put to the test as the class investigates the relationship between length and weight in a whole-group activity. Using a...
Virginia Department of Education
Measuring Mania
Conversion immersion — it's measuring mania! A set of four activities teaches scholars to convert between customary and metric units. Resource covers unit conversions in length, temperature, weight/mass, and volume.
Discovery Education
Solar System Scale
Extremely large or extremely small numbers are difficult to comprehend. To help understand the massive scale of the solar system, learners complete two activities. First, they create a model to compares the size of the bodies in the...
Curated OER
Making Predictions About Measurement
Upper graders experiment with measurement. They estimate the length, volume, and weight of various objects, then rotate through stations making predictions concerning measurements and then testing their predictions.
Curated OER
Discover Magazine: Size and Scale
High schoolers research measurements of the moon and Earth as well as the distance between the two in order to create scale models of the Earth-moon system. With a marble to be used as the moon, they must determine how large to make...
NASA
Earth, Earth’s Moon, Mars Balloons
Very specific diameters are given for blowing up three different balloons to represent, in scale, the moon, Earth, and Mars. In groups of three, amateur astronomers explore scale measurements and distance in space.
Curated OER
Scaling Down, Scaling Up
Students understand the meaning of scale and calculate various problems related to Cyberchase videos. For this scaling lesson, students measure a Proporciona boat using blades of grass. Students calculate dimensions based on a scale for...
Radford University
How do I Create a Scaled Model of a Full-Sized Basketball Court?
Take mathematics to the hoop! Pairs first measure the linear distances on a basketball court. Using those measurements, they determine the scale lengths to create a scaled model. To finish the activity, learners create models of the...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Is Measuring an Art or a Science?
Not only do future engineers learn the difference between accuracy and precision, they also get some hands-on experience using different measuring tools.
PBS
Scale City — Scaling up Recipes and Circles in the Real World
What a great big skillet you have. The resource introduces the class to the world's largest stainless steel skillet. The class creates a model of the skillet and a typical 12-inch skillet and compares the relative sizes of their areas....
University of Wisconsin
What’s a Square Foot Anyway? Laying Out the Design Plan
Clever! Participants don square-foot cardboard shoes to mark out the rain garden plot that they have spent the last few weeks designing. In this way, they are practicing scale modeling as well! Note that this lesson is part of a unit,...
Chemistry Collective
Virtual Lab: Determination of the pH Scale by the Method of Successive Dilutions
Where did the pH scale come from? Take a deeper look at a most important measure of ion concentration using a simulated physical determination. Young chemists prepare a series of dilutions after determining a dilution factor for the...
Teach Engineering
Measuring Viscosity
Groups use a marble to determine the viscosity of household fluids. The procedure calls for pupils to measure the amount of time it takes a marble to fall a specified distance in the fluids. Using unit conversions and algebra, the teams...
Curated OER
Walking the Plank
This is a cool math activity. Kids collect and interpret data based on a physical act. A board is balanced between a scale and a step, learners record a peer's weight as it decreases while s/he walks further away from the scale. They...
Curated OER
By the Pound
Agriculture surrounds us every day; incorporate measuring tools into a study of Oklahoma's agricultural industry! Small groups read an informational text (included) before visiting stations where they investigate prices of various...
Curated OER
Measuring Pots of Gold
Have your class practice measuring and weighing "leprechaun's gold" for St. Patrick's Day. In this measurement lesson, students work cooperatively to use scales to measure and weigh pretend gold. They use cups, tablespoons, and ounces to...
Teach Engineering
An Inflated Impression of Mars
Help your class understand the magnitude of the distance between Earth and Mars with an activity that asks small groups to use balloons to create scale models of the Earth, Moon, and Mars. Class members figure out the distances...
EngageNY
Fundamental Theorem of Similarity (FTS)
How do dilated line segments relate? Lead the class in an activity to determine the relationship between line segments and their dilated images. In the fourth section in a unit of 16, pupils discover the dilated line...
Exploratorium
Life Size - Explore the Size and Scale of Microscopic Biology
Compare sizes of microscopic items. Given a set of labels of microscopic objects, pupils try to place them in order from smallest to largest. Scholars then compare their lists to the actual comparisons along with the measurements of the...
Curated OER
Scaled Rubber Band Drawings
Students demonstrate the process of creating a scaled rubber band enlargement of a simple drawing. They observe and discuss a teacher-led demonstration, and create a scaled rubber band enlargement of simple drawings and their invention...
Curated OER
Drawing Plans to Scale
In this drawing plans to scale activity, students examine how to convert small scale drawings to real life plans. They work with perimeters and areas when given the scale ratio. They complete 7 multi-step questions. They enter the...
Curated OER
It's All About Scale
Sixth graders investigate scale models of toys. In this scale models of toys lesson, 6th graders bring in toys from home to measure. Students discuss scale and what scale is used with their toys. Students determine the...
Curated OER
Scale Drawing
In this measuring lengths worksheet, students determine which units to use when measuring lengths, estimating lengths, and the errors made when measuring, Students estimate the lengths of each of the lines illustrate to the nearest unit....
Texas Instruments
What's the Scale?
Pupils will analyze scales as related to models and real life in this geometry lesson. They work together to compare the dimensions on a model as compared to the real building.