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Nonstandard Measurement Activities for First Grade - Susan Jones Teachi

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Nonstandard measurement activities that are easy to prep and engaging for your first grade students. Measurement is often an overlooked skill in math and

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My absolute favorite thing to teach in math is area and perimeter. There are SO MANY fun things to do with this topic that keep students active, moving, and engaged. In this post, I've shared some of my favorite ways to teach area and perimeter. Each of these lessons are from my Third Grade Area and Perimeter Unit, but even if you don't use the unit, you should be able to get some fun ideas! To be honest, I also think they work perfectly with my fourth grade standards!

As in most math topics, I don't teach the formula for finding area and perimeter until my students have the opportunity to explore the concept and to construct their own knowledge and understanding. I first explain the concept of perimeter and we brainstorm situations when we would need to know the perimeter of something. In the past I used geoboards to introduce perimeter, but they always created a little confusion, because students wanted to count the pegs, rather than the sides. Now, I like to use pattern blocks to introduce perimeter. In our first activity, I have students find the perimeter of pattern blocks using the side of the square as 1 unit. Students then create designs out of pattern blocks and trace their design on construction paper. Students can then find the perimeter of their design using the side of the square as 1 unit.

I like to continue teaching the concept with a game in my follow-up lesson. As students play, many develop the understanding that they can add the sides together to find the perimeter of an object. To play the game, students should roll a die and take that many color tiles. Students should arrange the tiles to make a polygon and find the perimeter of the polygon. Students take turns rolling the die, and after each new roll, they add the tiles to their current shape and find the new perimeter. The first person with a perimeter of exactly 24 wins the game.

I also like to have students find the perimeter of tangible items in the classroom, such as books and desks. This is a great way to way to have students practice reading a ruler. If you're working with students who don't have experience adding fractions, have students round to the nearest whole number. However, if your students have prior experience with adding fractions, they can get extra real-life experience by measuring to the nearest fourth inch.

When I introduce area, I love using Cheeze-It crackers. The only problem with this activity is that Cheeze-Its are an absolute weakness for me, and I could eat them all day! Once again, I don't tell students the formula for finding the area of a quadrilateral. Instead, I want students to construct this knowledge on their own. In this activity, students manipulate squares to modify the area and perimeter of a given shape. To introduce this activity, I call out different measurements and have students build shapes (usually quadrilaterals) with their Cheeze-Its. After students build their shapes, they draw a picture of each image on their recording sheet. After the activity, we discuss how the different measurements can be built in many different ways.

I follow that activity with another hands-on lesson using a different manipulative-pentominoes! I give each student a set of pentominoes (I included a template for paper ones) and have students look at the common attributes of the pentomino (each piece has an area of 5 square units and all sides meet to form a right angle). In the activity, students choose three pentominoes and create a polygon with those pentominoes. Students then find the area and perimeter of each of the polygons they created. I like to have students explain what they noticed about the areas and perimeters of the polygons. As an extension activity, have students use 3 pentomino pieces to discover the longest perimeter they can make or the largest area they can make.

A great book to integrate literature and math is Spaghetti and Meatballs for All. In this book, a family must create a seating arrangement for a party they are hosting. To extend the book to an area and perimeter lesson, have students create their own seating arrangement for the family. As students manipulate the squares (tables), they discover that when two separate squares (tables of four) are rearranged into a rectangle, two seating spaces are lost where the squares are joined together. Students may recognize that as the perimeter gets smaller, the rectangle gets closer and closer to a square. Have students pretend they are planning a party for 18 people. They have six square tables they can use, but they don't have to use all of them. Each table seats four, one on each side. I have students draw a picture of the table arrangement and label each place to show who will be sitting in each seat. To incorporate writing, I have students describe what happened to the perimeter as tables were pushed together.

Once students begin to show a solid understanding of area and perimeter, I have them create an Area and Perimeter Carnival. This is a great way to incorporate art and math.The recording sheet for the activity includes the area or perimeter of eight rides that must be included in the carnival. Students use the recording sheet to draw each ride. You can make this as elaborate or as simple as you want. I like to have students draw their rectangles first and then they can spend time drawing the ride inside each rectangle. As an extension, students may add two of their own additional items.

Another excellent conceptual lesson is where students draw rectangles with a given perimeter. Have students draw all the rectangles they can with the same perimeter on their grid paper. Students should also find the area and write it inside each rectangle. I then have students cut out the rectangles and order them from smallest area to largest area and glue them on construction paper. Once students finish the task, post the students' work so that students can see several different examples of rectangles with the same perimeter arranged in order by area. If you select larger numbers, such as 36, you may need to supply students with extra grid paper so they will have enough space for all of their rectangles.

One of my favorite perimeter and area tasks is my perimeter and area robot activity. I used the task as a performance assessment, and it is a huge success every year. I love activities where my students get excited and have the opportunity to apply all they have learned. I always start the activity by pretending that our class has received an official letter from NASA. I make a big deal out of opening the envelope. I act very secretive, because of course, it's a top secret mission, and everyone always gets so involved in the project. NASA asks students to build a Perimeter and Area Robot. The catch is that each body part of the robot must be a specific perimeter or a specific area. I have students cut out the pieces from one centimeter grid paper and glue the robot together on large construction paper. Since I originally created this pack, I have since added multiple versions for easier differentiation. One version is for perimeter only, another version is for area only, and the third version combines area AND perimeter.

All of the lessons above are from my T hird Grade Area and Perimeter Unit. I recognize that it never hurts to have to have extra practice pages, so I also created a No Prep Area and Perimeter pack. You can use these printables to compliment or supplement your existing area and perimeter unit. I apologize for the picture overload, but there are SO MANY great activities to choose from!

It begins where students find the perimeter of polygons by counting the sides of a rectangle.

The students find the perimeter by using the formula and adding the sides together.

To increase the challenge, students then draw shapes with given perimeters with and without grid paper.

Of course, I had to include a perimeter game, so I created a game called Spin the Perimeter, where students spin twice to find the dimensions of a rectangle. They use those dimensions to build a rectangle and find the perimeter of the rectangles. There are also practice pages where students find the missing side of a rectangle when the perimeter is given.

The pack then shifts into isolated area practice, where students first find the area by counting the square units and then by using the formula of length times width.

Students then draw the area with and without grid paper.

I also included an area game, which is very similar to the perimeter game. Students spin twice to determine the dimensions of the rectangle and then find the area of each rectangle.

I also included pages where students find the missing side of a rectangle and where students determine that area is additive and how to solve for area in irregular polygons.

The pack then combines area and perimeter activities to prevent students from confusing the two. It follows the same pattern and has students identify and draw the perimeter and area with and without grids.

I've also included a few more rigorous and problem solving tasks to extend student learning. My students LOVED designing a mall based on area and perimeter. It cracks me up to see what stores they choose to add to their mall.

They also enjoyed the zoo activity where they used a map of a zoo to answer area and perimeter questions.

I included a few extras such as a situational area and perimeter sort, a few cut and past activities, and area and perimeter word problems.

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Teaching Area and Perimeter - Ashleigh's Education Journey

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My absolute favorite thing to teach in math is area and perimeter. There are SO MANY fun things to do with this topic that keep students active, moving, and engaged. In this post, I've shared some of my favorite ways... Read More "

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Here are some fun measurement activities for preschoolers. Kids will enjoy using the printable measuring strip to record the growth of little growing dinosaurs.
Kids enjoy watching creatures grow in water. Why not use the wonderful growing animals to learn about measurement and how to record measurement.

Supplies

To begin, you will need the following supplies. I have included a few affiliate links at the bottom of this post for your shopping convenience. If you purchase something from a link, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards the cost of maintaining this website:

small growing dinosaurs

clear plastic cups

permanent marker

water

printable measuring strip

Download the Printable Measuring Strips

I have created some measuring strips for you. They are centimeter strips. The left side of each strip contains a star. Use the star to help kids remember where to line up their dinosaur tail to start their measurement. Each centimeter is highlighted with a different color so it is easy for kids to see each unit of measure.

You will need to print the measuring strips, cut them out, and laminate them for this activity. To get your free printable measuring strips, click on the link below.
Measuring Strips Printable
Measure the Dinosaurs

Now that you have gathered your supplies and prepared your measuring strips, you are ready to begin the activity. Select a dinosaur and measure it while it is dry. The best way to do it is to measure from tail to nose. Help kids make a mark on their measuring strips.

After measuring the dry dinosaurs, place each dinosaur in a clear cup filled with water. Ask the kids what they think will happen? Kids can record their data and/or predictions in blank books.

Measure Again

Let the dinosaurs soak in the water for a day or two. Then take them out of the water, pat them dry with a towel, and measure them again. Help the kids record the new measurement on the strips.

Questions for Your Kids

Here are a few open-end questions to ask kids:

How is the dinosaur different after is soaked in water?

How does the dinosaur feel?

Why do you think that happened?

What do you think will happen if we put it in the water for another day?

What do you think will happen if we leave it out of the water instead?

You can continue to soak and measure the dinosaurs until they stop growing. Kids can make predictions about how big they will get and how long they will continue to grow.

If kids enjoy the activity, there are many ways that you can extend it. You can also take them out of the water and record their shrinkage. Kids may also enjoy experimenting with different types of liquids to see how the dinosaurs react.

I hope that you enjoy these measurement activities for preschoolers. If you have any additional ideas for using the measurement strips and/or the growing dinosaurs, I would love to hear them in the comments below.

Below are some STEAM activities from my store. Click on the images to check them out.

Below are some items from Amazon that can be used for the activities mentioned in this article. The links below are affiliate links. If you happen to purchase something from link, there will be no additional cost to you, but a small portion of your purchase will be used towards the cost of maintaining this website

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How to Measure Growing Dinosaurs with Your Kids

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Here are some fun measurement activities for preschoolers. Kids will enjoy using the printable measuring strip to record the growth of little growing dinosaurs. Kids enjoy watching creatures grow in water. Why not use the wonderful growing animals to learn about measurement and how to record measurement.

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This week has been 100 kinds of exhausting. The fact that I am blogging right now is practically a miracle... it helps that I'm relaxing on the couch, feet propped up, wrapped in a comfy blanket, and in my jammies at the moment! This time of year brings so much "busy-ness"... end of the year testing, student placement meetings, making to-dos for next year... all while wrangling a classroom full of wild cats, ha!

This year in math I decided to continue introducing new concepts until the bitter end. For some reason my scope and sequence got all wonky and I have no time for a review week. Maybe it was all those snow days... or my trip to the Congo... either way we are still trudging along! We've been having lots of fun learning about area!

My kids LOVED making their area robots! These kinds of things are PERFECT because they take up quite a bit of time and you can always go back and add more details if you finish too early 😉

Now this activity didn't take as long as I'd hoped, but it was still a lot of fun. Plus going out to the hallway to work was definitely a nice change of pace 🙂

My students recorded the area of each shape in their math spirals.

Then I had a student come up and teach the class how they found the area of each shape. Built in bonus... only students who are SUPER quiet and still get to be the teachers 😉

This activity was definitely a score because it took up a large chunk of time!! I've been cleaning out my classroom, reorganizing cabinets, and changing out bulletin boards so keeping them occupied helps me out a ton!!! And, as one kid put it "This is awesome because we don't even have to write our names on our paper!" #bless #whatevermakesyouhappy

Each name was so unique! I just loved looking at what they came up with 🙂

And that's that! We have 8 full days and 2 half days left... Will it ever end??!!!

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This week has been 100 kinds of exhausting. The fact that I am blogging right now is practically a miracle... it helps that I'm relaxing on the couch, feet propped up, wrapped in a comfy blanket, and in my jammies at the moment! This time of year brings so much "busy-ness"...

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Love the cheez-it activity. Check it out!

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Area and Perimeter 3rd Grade Common Core Standards

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I love to teach area and perimeter. It's so much fun to pull out all the manipulatives, and it's very easy for the students to see a real-life application of it. This time around, I thought I'd go a different route. I have always been very good at being resourceful, my mama says! Haha. So, I thought I'd pull together some great ideas for teaching area and perimeter. A collection of sorts for you!

I always start in my classroom with perimeter, so that's how I'm going to start this collection! In my classroom, I like to start my perimeter and area math workshop off with the things that pique student interest more than anything... That's right, C-A-N-D-Y! I break students up into groups and provide each group with a different sized box of candy. They measure the perimeter of the box and rotate to the next group, repeating the fun. I use types such as large and small boxes of Nerds, a pack of gum, a box of Whoppers, and so on. The students get to practice their measuring skills along with the perimeter, and when they are done, I give them a mini-candy bar. I can't help it. I like to share the candy. Of course, if you aren't a candy person, you could easily cut out construction paper of different sizes to represent different sized chocolate bars or collect empty boxes of student interest.

This activity is found in my area and perimeter math workshop unit. You can read all about that by clicking here.

In More Time 2 Teach's blog post about a hands-on approach, her students not only created figures on geoboards and found the perimeter but also later returned to them to find the area! They also created really neat looking pictures from graph paper.

At the blog Evil Math Wizard, students worked through a project-based activity, where they worked for a tile company having to create new tiles for an area, such as a patio, a shower, a kitchen, and so on. Students designed the tile, created a bid, and presented it to their clients.

Blair Turner had her students use stamps in her classroom to help students see the connections between arrays and tiling. They had fun while learning!

Over at What I Have Learned Teaching, my friend Jessica had her students' partition rectangles on paper by folding and counting the squares. After you have worked with students on tiling area with manipulatives, this would be a great next step to work students into semi-concrete understanding.

Jamie from Diary of the Not So Wimpy Teacher shared on Upper Elementary Snapshots some fun ways to practice area and perimeter. She shares how to use food, such as Cheez-Its®, as well as robot-building, games, and task cards (for a game of Scoot) to actively involve students in learning.

Mary over at Teaching with a Mountain View likes to use one of my favorite books, Spaghetti and Meatballs for All, to get students thinking about the relationship between area and perimeter. She has some ideas and activities for having students focus on both fixed area and fixed perimeter. She also has a great anchor chart! You can also find a freebie she has here.

With all these GREAT ideas, it has got to be hard to choose which ones to go with and teach! I know - do them all! 🙂

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A Collection of Area and Perimeter Ideas - The Owl Teacher

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I love to teach area and perimeter. It's so much fun to pull out all the manipulatives, and it's very easy for the students to see a real-life application of it. This time around, I thought I'd go a different route. I have always been very good at being resourceful, my mama says!

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In this blog post I will go over the third grade common core math standards 3.MD.5 - 3.MD.6 and provide you with activities you can use with your students.

Measurement & Data // 3.MD.5 & 3.MD.6

I understand that the area of a plane shape can be measured in square units.

I can measure area by counting unit squares.

1. Area Name or Initials Activity

Bringing out the crayons is always fun! Students will enjoy this fun activity. They can either draw their name or initials using this free printable activity. You can also use graph paper found in notebooks or any grid paper you may have.
Directions:

1. Outline your name with a pencil.

2. Color each letter a different color.

3. Find the are of each letter.

4. Add the area of each letter to find the total area.

2. Let's Multiply - Dice Game

I bought an awesome set of dice from amazon. ( Click to view affiliate link) This is a great partner game activity. Students will practice their multiplication facts and review making area models.
Directions:

1. Roll dice.

2. Use the two numbers to create a multiplication equation.

3. Draw the array to represent the equation.

4. Write the total square units inside the array.

You can extend this activity by requiring students to also find the perimeter of each array.

3. Food & Area

Students always pay a little more attention when you bring in a special treat 🙂 When introducing the concept of area, try to use only snacks that are in the shape of a square. Starbursts, Wheat Thins, and saltine crackers are a few you can use. Try to avoid using hearts or round snacks for this activity. Below is a printable students can use as a mat as they build different figures with their snack.

4. Math Talk / Area Tasks

Students love using manipulatives, so take out these square counters and have students complete the following tasks.
Directions:

1. Teacher reads area task

2. Students build their figure

3. As needed, students write their answer on a dry erase board

Affiliate links: Foam Square Tiles, Dry Erase Board Set with Markers & Erasers

5. Power Point Activity

Use this quick, interactive power point to review area with your students. Below is a look at the power point. You can download this and the above activities by signing up for our newsletter. The free resources will be sent right to your inbox!
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6. Math Sort

Math Sorts are the best math center I have used in my classroom. They are short, focused, and fun! We complete math sorts together at the beginning of the year, but students catch on quickly.
Directions:

1. Cut out the cards

2. Sort the cards into categories

3. Explain how you sorted the cards

4. Glue the cards

Click the picture below to view a set of measurement & data math sorts. You can also view the complete bundle here.

7. Interactive Notebook Activity

Interactive notebook activities can be used as a whole group activity or during guided math groups. Below are a few pictures of area activities included in my 3rd grade interactive notebook bundle.

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In this blog post I will go over the third grade common core math standards 3.MD.5 - 3.MD.6 and provide you with activities you can use with your students. I understand that the area of a plane shape can be measured in square units. I can measure area by counting unit squares.

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