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Measurement Magic: Convert It!

For Schools

Lesson Plan

Measurement Magic: Convert It!

Students will convert between units of length, weight, and volume and apply critical thinking to solve conversion problems.

Mastering measurement conversions is essential for real-world tasks like cooking, shopping, and understanding blueprints, helping students develop practical life skills.

Audience

4th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive slides, guided practice, and critical thinking questions.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Measurement Magic: Convert It! Slide Deck, Warm-Up: Brain Warm-Up!, Conversion Challenge Worksheet, Conversion Challenge Answer Key, and Cool-Down: My Conversion Confidence

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Brain Warm-Up!

5 minutes

  • Display the Warm-Up: Brain Warm-Up! on the projector.
    - Instruct students to complete the warm-up individually.
    - Discuss answers as a class, encouraging students to explain their reasoning.

Step 2

Introduction to Conversion

5 minutes

  • Begin with the Measurement Magic: Convert It! Slide Deck (Slides 1-3).
    - Introduce the concept of measurement conversion using relatable examples (e.g., why we need to convert feet to inches).
    - Engage students with questions like, "Why might knowing how many inches are in a foot be helpful?"

Step 3

Guided Practice: Length & Weight

10 minutes

  • Continue with the Measurement Magic: Convert It! Slide Deck (Slides 4-7).
    - Work through examples of converting length (feet/inches, yards/feet) and weight (pounds/ounces) as a class.
    - Emphasize the 'King Henry Died' mnemonic or similar strategy if applicable.
    - Encourage students to ask questions and share their strategies.

Step 4

Independent Practice: Conversion Challenge

7 minutes

  • Distribute the Conversion Challenge Worksheet.
    - Instruct students to complete the worksheet independently.
    - Circulate the room to provide support and answer questions. Remind students to show their work and think critically about the units.

Step 5

Cool-Down: My Conversion Confidence

3 minutes

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Slide Deck

Measurement Magic: Convert It!

Understanding how to change measurements from one unit to another!

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of measurement conversion. Start with a hook about how we use measurements every day.

What is Measurement Conversion?

• Changing a measurement from one unit to another.
• Example: Changing feet into inches, or pounds into ounces.

Ask students what they think 'conversion' means in everyday language before applying it to measurements.

Why Do We Convert Measurements?

• Cooking: A recipe calls for 1 cup, but you only have a tablespoon!
• Building: You need 5 feet of rope, but the store measures in inches!
• Travel: Knowing how many kilometers are in a mile!

Ask students for their own examples of when they might need to convert measurements in real life. Guide them to think about cooking, building, or even travel.

Length Conversion: Feet & Inches

• 1 foot = 12 inches
• If you have 2 feet, how many inches is that? (2 x 12 = 24 inches)
• If you have 36 inches, how many feet is that? (36 ÷ 12 = 3 feet)

Introduce length conversions. Start with familiar units. Use a visual aid or have students measure something in the room using both feet and inches to see the relationship.

Length Conversion: Yards & Feet

• 1 yard = 3 feet
• If a fence is 5 yards long, how many feet is that? (5 x 3 = 15 feet)
• If a rug is 9 feet long, how many yards is that? (9 ÷ 3 = 3 yards)

Introduce yards and feet. Again, use a physical example or ask students to estimate a yard to visualize the conversion.

Weight Conversion: Pounds & Ounces

• 1 pound (lb) = 16 ounces (oz)
• A bag of apples weighs 3 pounds. How many ounces is that? (3 x 16 = 48 ounces)
• A small package weighs 32 ounces. How many pounds is that? (32 ÷ 16 = 2 pounds)

Move to weight. Explain that pounds are heavier than ounces. Ask students to name things measured in pounds and ounces.

Volume Conversion: Quarts & Pints

• 1 quart (qt) = 2 pints (pt)
• If you have 4 quarts of juice, how many pints is that? (4 x 2 = 8 pints)
• If you have 6 pints of milk, how many quarts is that? (6 ÷ 2 = 3 quarts)

Introduce volume. Use examples like milk cartons (gallons, quarts) or soda (liters, milliliters, though stick to customary for 4th grade for this lesson if time is short).

Challenge Question!

Sarah needs 3 yards of fabric. The store sells fabric by the foot. How many feet of fabric does Sarah need? Explain your thinking!

Present a challenge question to encourage critical thinking. Emphasize showing their work and explaining their reasoning. This sets up the worksheet.

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Warm Up

Brain Warm-Up!

Think about things you measure every day.

  1. What are two different ways you could measure the length of your desk?



  2. What are two different ways you could measure the weight of a book?



  3. Why do you think there are different ways to measure the same thing?



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Worksheet

Conversion Challenge Worksheet

Instructions: Read each problem carefully and convert the measurements. Show your work!

Part 1: Length Conversions

  1. Your friend is 4 feet tall. How many inches tall is your friend?



  2. A classroom is 21 feet wide. How many yards wide is the classroom?



  3. You have a piece of string that is 60 inches long. Can you cut three 2-foot pieces from it? Explain your answer.






Part 2: Weight Conversions

  1. A baby weighs 8 pounds. How many ounces does the baby weigh?



  2. You bought a bag of oranges that weighs 48 ounces. How many pounds is that?



  3. A recipe calls for 2 pounds of chicken. You only have a scale that measures in ounces. How many ounces of chicken should you use? Why is it important to be precise?






Part 3: Volume Conversions

  1. You have 3 quarts of apple juice. How many pints of juice do you have?



  2. Your water bottle holds 4 pints. How many quarts does it hold?



  3. You are filling a small kiddie pool that holds 10 quarts of water. You only have a 1-pint container to fill it. How many times will you need to fill and pour the 1-pint container? Why might it be faster to use a larger container?






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Answer Key

Conversion Challenge Answer Key

Part 1: Length Conversions

  1. Your friend is 4 feet tall. How many inches tall is your friend?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 foot = 12 inches. To find out how many inches are in 4 feet, we multiply the number of feet by 12.
    • Answer: 4 feet * 12 inches/foot = 48 inches

  2. A classroom is 21 feet wide. How many yards wide is the classroom?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 yard = 3 feet. To convert feet to yards, we divide the number of feet by 3.
    • Answer: 21 feet / 3 feet/yard = 7 yards

  3. You have a piece of string that is 60 inches long. Can you cut three 2-foot pieces from it? Explain your answer.

    • Thought Process: First, convert 2 feet into inches to know the length of each piece. Then, calculate the total length needed for three pieces. Finally, compare the total needed length with the string's available length.
    • Answer:
      • 1 piece = 2 feet * 12 inches/foot = 24 inches
      • Total needed = 3 pieces * 24 inches/piece = 72 inches
      • Since 60 inches (available) is less than 72 inches (needed), you cannot cut three 2-foot pieces from it.

Part 2: Weight Conversions

  1. A baby weighs 8 pounds. How many ounces does the baby weigh?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 pound = 16 ounces. To convert pounds to ounces, we multiply the number of pounds by 16.
    • Answer: 8 pounds * 16 ounces/pound = 128 ounces

  2. You bought a bag of oranges that weighs 48 ounces. How many pounds is that?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 pound = 16 ounces. To convert ounces to pounds, we divide the number of ounces by 16.
    • Answer: 48 ounces / 16 ounces/pound = 3 pounds

  3. A recipe calls for 2 pounds of chicken. You only have a scale that measures in ounces. How many ounces of chicken should you use? Why is it important to be precise?

    • Thought Process: Convert the required pounds to ounces using the conversion factor (1 pound = 16 ounces). Explain that precision is key to good cooking and baking.
    • Answer:
      • 2 pounds * 16 ounces/pound = 32 ounces
      • It is important to be precise in recipes because too much or too little of an ingredient can change the taste, texture, or even the success of the dish. For example, in baking, incorrect measurements can make cakes flat or dry.

Part 3: Volume Conversions

  1. You have 3 quarts of apple juice. How many pints of juice do you have?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 quart = 2 pints. To convert quarts to pints, we multiply the number of quarts by 2.
    • Answer: 3 quarts * 2 pints/quart = 6 pints

  2. Your water bottle holds 4 pints. How many quarts does it hold?

    • Thought Process: We know that 1 quart = 2 pints. To convert pints to quarts, we divide the number of pints by 2.
    • Answer: 4 pints / 2 pints/quart = 2 quarts

  3. You are filling a small kiddie pool that holds 10 quarts of water. You only have a 1-pint container to fill it. How many times will you need to fill and pour the 1-pint container? Why might it be faster to use a larger container?

    • Thought Process: First, convert the total capacity of the pool from quarts to pints. Then, divide the total pints by the size of the container (1 pint) to find out how many times you need to fill it. Explain the efficiency of using larger containers.
    • Answer:
      • Pool capacity in pints = 10 quarts * 2 pints/quart = 20 pints
      • Number of times = 20 pints / 1 pint/fill = 20 times
      • It would be faster to use a larger container (like a 1-quart or 1-gallon container) because you would need to fill and pour fewer times, saving energy and time.
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Cool Down

My Conversion Confidence

Instructions: Please answer the following questions to reflect on what you learned today.

  1. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "Not confident" and 5 being "Very confident," how confident do you feel about converting measurements (like feet to inches or pounds to ounces)?



  2. What was one new thing you learned about measurement conversions today?



  3. What is one question you still have about measurement conversions, or one area you'd like more practice with?



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