Making a Yardstick - 2nd grade edition

Students will make their own yard stick and measure their heights
Maker Mindset
: 
CC Standards
: 

Students will complete the yardstick challenge where they are making their own yard stick and use it to measure their heights (or other body parts - feet, armspan etc.) Through the challenge and 1 follow-up lesson, the mathematical purpose is developing understanding of linear measurement, (2.MD.A), measure in and relate different units - inches and feet (2.MD.A.2), generating measurement data (2.MD.D), relating addition and subtraction to length (2.MD.B). They will engage in mathematical practices 5 (appropriate tools) and 6 (attending to precision).

Building a maker mindset 

Other mathematical purposes: 

  • Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction (2.OA.A)
  • Understand place value - skip count by 5s (2.NBT.A.2)

Prior Experience
: 

Measuring, addition, and subtraction.

Materials For This Cycle

Materials Needed for this Cycle

  • Blank yardstick or meterstick
  • Pencil
  • Markers
  • 3 inch by 5 inch index card (real index cards are better than self-made ones, which will be inaccurate due to human error)

 

Lessons
: 

Warmup: Making a Yardstick
Lesson 1: Making Measurements