This Estimate ‘N Measure game gives kids the opportunity to measure an irregular shape. Some kids may never have thought about how they could find the length of something that they can’t use a ruler to measure. Teachers or parents can have students use this game with either the US standard of inches or the metric centimeters for the measurements of the lengths. You may want to just ask them an open-ended question at the beginning to see if they come up with the idea of using a simple piece of string to keep track of the total length.
The other thing that kids will learn pretty quickly is that it’s important for them to be accurate with the way they mark tic marks on the figure. Measuring requires precision so it’s necessary to be careful with how the string is aligned with the figure. Using the ruler to measure the string also requires attention to detail. It’s very easy to lay the string down in a way that causes inaccuracies in the final measurements. Kids will be hoping that “lady luck” smiles upon them so that their roll of the die will yield a larger number. They’ll want to move around the figure faster. A teacher or parent will definitely be needed to check measurements here and there to ensure that they are correct.
After they finish the supplied figures, give them the opportunity to draw some wild and wacky figures of their own. They’ll make them really complicated if they think their opponents are doing the measuring. It’s kind of fun to turn things around and let them measure the complicated designs themselves instead of allowing them to hand them off to someone else!
Common Core Mathematical Standards
1.MD Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.
2.MD Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
NOTE: In order for this game to match Standard 2.MD, teachers will have to use the standard system of measurement instead of metric.
Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
