First Grade Lesson

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Grade: First Grade
Standard: S1CS3. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating objects in scientific activities.

Objective: Students will use various nonstandard units of measurement to determine the best unit for measuring odd shaped objects.

Materials:
Odd shaped objects for measuring such as plastic animals, balls, rocks for each group
Nonstandard measuring units such as string, sticks, hands, small counters or coins for each group
1 copy of record keeping page

Procedure:
1. Show students video clips from Australia
2. Put students in groups of 2-4 depending on the amount of materials you have (grouping should be mixed ability levels)
3. Each student has a job: hold object for measuring, record keeper, and measurer
4. Ask students what the scientists in the video were doing to the turtles. They should answer: measuring, weighing, tagging, recording data, looking inside and catching.
5. Tell students that sometimes scientists have to measure wild animals that are oddly shaped. How do you think they do this? What is the best unit to measure something odd that moves?
6. Give each group their jobs and materials. Tell each child that there job is very important to the process - just like in the video. Someone has to hold the turtle, measure it, and write down the information- it’s too hard to remember everything.
7. Show the students how to use the record page. Each group should have 3-5 things to measure and 3 different nonstandard measuring units (see record page and example).
8. Gather the students back together and record findings on large chart paper that looks like record page.

Closure:
Ask students what they think about the data. Did each group find the same results? Why or why not? What nonstandard units are easiest to use with odd shaped objects? Why?

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