When brain storming what is measurement I initially thought about using a tape measure to find out lengths and widths of objects.  My sons love measuring how long things are and the length of time it takes to do something.  Measurement involves assigning a number to an attribute of an event or object.  Measurement is a key area in the study of mathematics.   It involves 6 main learning areas including length, area, volume, capacity, time and mass also include the measurement of temperature and angles into the classroom.   Measurement is in the curriculum as it is used daily in students’ lives and help students to view the importance of mathematics in everyday life.  It is also in the curriculum s it incorporates a range of other mathematics.  Including counting (number of grams), multiplication for find volume, division to change minutes into hours, subtraction to find out how accurate an estimation is and also addition when finding the perimeter of a shape.

 

There are three different approaches to comparing attributes which build understanding.  Students can compare objects by assessing what’s the same and different from a distance, compare the two objects directly and close to one another or compare the objects indirectly through the use of a third object as the informal unit to measure with.  It is important students learn the associated vocabulary and procedure to finding measurements.  Length is one of the most easily understood learning areas.  Children from a young age who have exposure to a variety of situations which involve good language skills can estimate and compare objects by their length effectively.  Students are also required to understand the capacity and volume of objects.  Lessons that are created for students to create perceptual comparisons about which object will hold the most and then being able to experiment and fill the objects will build understanding. Students happily use a variety of fillers including water, beans, seeds, blocks and sand for example.  It is important students learn the difference between weight and mass.  Mass relates to the amount of substance and weight relates to the effects of gravitational pull.  Area relates to the total surface within a shape or boundary.  Students begin to describe the size of shapes as either being the same, smaller or bigger.  Teachers can build on their vocabulary and use language like smaller or larger area.

 

Measurement of time also includes intervals of time including the four seasons, time between birthdays, days in a week, the months of a year as well as understanding and ability to tell the time. The concept of time differs across history and cultures.  In the Egyptian system, the length of day and night time was unequal and varied depending on the seasons and the amount of light available.  The Ancient Babylonians and Ancient Chinese also had their own time systems.  Many other cultures don’t appear to have methods for subdividing up the day.  For example, the Australian Aboriginal people had seasonal calendars and used the sky to indicate the seasons but there is not evidence they kept time throughout the day.  The Australian Curriculum states that students in year four will begin to explore angles (ACARA, 2015). 

 

Measurement lessons are often actually number lessons with measurements embedded into the problem.  For example, 3 pencils are each 4cm long, what is the total length?  This lesson involves more computations.  Estimation and an ‘act’ of measuring needs to be including to make it a true measurement lesson.

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Check out my Measurment activity here.