Date: September 15, 1999

Grade Level: 2, 3

Subject(s):

• Mathematics/Measurement
• Language Arts/Literature/Children's Literature
• Arts

Description: Inch by Inch is a lesson dealing with measurement and estimation. It integrates reading and art.

Goals: Students will be able to calculate basic estimations and take measurements of linear objects.

Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. estimate the length of common linear objects (without the use of a ruler).
2. correctly cut yarn or string into 1 inch pieces by using an inch ruler.
3. create a picture with their inch long strips of yarn.

Materials:

• Story book Lionni, Leo (1995) Inch by Inch. Mulberry Books; ISBN: 0688132839
• common linear objects (such as a shoestring, crayon, or belt)
• inch rulers
• 20 inches of string or yarn (for each student)
• colored paper
• glue
• recording sheet
• an overhead of the same recording sheet as a master copy

Continuation of Lesson:
Tell students to get out their inch rulers to remind themselves of how long an inch is. Then have them put the rulers away again. Explain that we are going to be making predictions or estimations about the length of a few objects. Ask if anyone has had to predict something before. Explain that estimating means to make a prediction or a good guess about something. (The closer we get to the actual number, the more accurate our estimation is. Estimation comes in handy when our rulers are not available.) Put a worm (a cutout) on the board and ask the class to guess how long the worm is. Separate the class into groups. Pass out a recording sheet to the class. Hold up linear objects that the students may run across everyday. (For example, a crayon, a belt, and a pencil) Have the students record the estimates on the worksheet. Do the first couple together. Give each group one of the objects just observed. Have the groups get an accurate measure using their rulers. Have one student from each group come forward to write the group measurement on the master chart.

Closure:
Ask the students how well they estimated. Pass out 20 inches of yarn, string, or ribbon to each student. Have each student cut the long string into inch long strips so that when they are finished, they should have 20 strips. Have students create their own picture out of the strips of yarn by gluing them on colored paper. The artwork will be displayed on a bulletin board under the title “Classroom Inches.” Pass out gummy worms to the class.