Measurement: Covering Distance
A good free time
activity which needs little preparation and encourages children to work
together.
Objectives
Children participating are able to use several measuring objects
to measure distance
count the number of objects needed to measure distances or surfaces
they will be able to measure the height, width, and circumference of objects
and they will all work with a group pf children to accomplish a goal SE IV
Children ages 3-4 can identify objects as longer or shorter Cog. IIIB
Materials
Ribbons, thick string,
tape, bamboo sticks, garden canes, blocks, doweling, pencils cut to same
length, etc. Large sheet of butcher paper; felt pens.
Procedures
1. Have children sit in a circle on floor. Have materials set on
table or on rug away from group. (For younger children, have materials grouped
so that all string is together, etc.) Tell children that they are going to
measure large things with the materials on the table.
2. Have children choose partners or assign children to groups of three. Each
group chooses an assignment, e.g. to measure the distance from the slide to the
swings; measure the top of the bookcase; measure the sandbox, etc.
3. On butcher paper, list, using pictures and words, the items to be measured.
Have children choose from the materials the kind they will use to measure their
distance.
4. Children count the measuring devices (pointing to each item as they count).
"How may sticks fit across the bookcase? How many blocks go around the
fish tank?"
5. Help each team record their results on the graph, writing the numerals and
drawing pictures of the measuring devices. Children then measure the same
object or distance with different materials and compare results.
Variation
Use body parts as measuring devices, e.g. "How many hands go across the couch?" This is more complicated because the child must count and remember the number of times they have placed their hand down rather than the usual counting as they point to each object.
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