Measuring Capacity in the Real World

I can't wait to get back to school and use my new measurement packet on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Okay that's not 100% true, but I am really excited to do this activity next week.  

I recently received my informal observation from my Principal and she came in to see my Area and Perimeter Zoo.  

She gave me high praise for always making my lesson real life and relevant.  She said I always draw the kids in with my lessons and she was really impressed!  Oh buddy was my head bigger than hot air balloon by the time I left that meeting!  But she does have a point.  My partner in crime (my co-teacher Stephanie) and I do spend time thinking of way to make learning relevant.  I always try to tell my students when they might actually use the skill I'm about to teach them.  My philosophy is what's the point in  learning something if I'm never going to be able to use it.

So when my math cohorts and I sat down to plan our capacity unit my wheels began to spin.  I kept thinking of when we ever actually use milliliters.  I mean liters is easy every time you go to buy a 2 liter drink you use liters, but everyday people don't really measure in liters.  Then I began thinking of my daughter and how I give her medicine in the droppers.  That was it!  I'll have all my kids pretend to be parents!  

Yea like that's relate able to a nine year old. I'm thinking some of my boys would have rolled quite a few eyes at me.  

So instead I thought about the 4 years I spent as a Vet Tech to get me through college.  Kids love animals so why not make them Veterinary Technicians!!  This Animal Hospital packet has got it ALL.  I'm planning on working this packet in stations.  

Station 1:  The milliliters and liters measurement game. Students will play the game to test their knowledge of what we measure in milliliters and what we measure in liters. 

Station 2:  Welcome to the Animal Hospital.  Students will use the patient chart and information cards to give medicine to the puppies and kittens.  Cute right?  I've been saving my Vitamin Water bottles for a week so I could make some for my self and my cohorts.  

Station 3:  Will be where the students come to write about their experiences.  I have included an article with real life facts about what it takes to be a Vet Tech.  Using my new best friend the OREO (state your opinion, support it with reasons and evidence, restate your opinion)  my kids will write a paper on this precious paper to tell me whether or not they would want to become a Vet Tech when they grow up.  

This activity will give me a grade for math and writing.  How cool is that!? Plus I will get a snazzy Bulletin Board display out of it as well.

I will be teaching this lesson next Wednesday so I can't wait to share pictures with you guys.  Head on over to Teachers Pay Teachers to get a copy!   

How tall, how high, how wide: Measuring Length

Our 3rd grades have been hard at work measuring length.  Our state is in a common core limbo right now so our kids still have to know how to use all of the customary and metric systems.  We started off the week measuring in inches.  Last year it was a bit of a challenge to get my 3rd graders to measure in quarter inches, but this year it was super easy.  I think it is because with the new shift to the core we had to teach fractions on a number line. 

As with all of my lessons, I started off with an anchor and notes in our interactive notebooks. (Picture coming tomorrow) 




After the students got a grasp on how to read the ruler we played my Scoot! game.  The kids loved it even though its really just a worksheet cut up into problems.  Hey! Let them move and its magical! You can grab your copy from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

During day 3 of our unit we started measuring in inches and plotting on a line plot.  To make this lesson fun I created a Monster Math Measurement packet. The kids loved all the different monster designs.  I posted the monsters around the room and had a small group walk around and measure them.  They recorded their measurements on their monster math tracker sheets.  I then had them get together with a group and compare their measurements.  I always try to get my kids to hold those educational conversations and help each other out. 

 

The students then used the line plot to graph their monster's measurements.  They even had their own versions of the monsters to spif up their graphs.  

The last bit of our week was spent choosing which unit to select when measuring items.  To help the kids remember which units were customary and which were metric we created an anchor chart. 









Tomorrow is our last day before Spring Break and we are all measured out!  When we get back from break we will move on to measuring capacity.  I have a ton planned for that unit!  Venterniary Nurse to measure in ml, baking a cake, making our own juice, and the list goes on and on.  Can't wait to share with you all!