Search and Measure

Goal: Use measurements in a scavenger hunt

Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Group size: Any

Time: 20 minutes or more

Spotlight: Measuring with rulers

Materials:

Scavenger hunt list: one per child or pair

Ruler or yardstick per child or pair

Pencils

Prerequisites:

Reading and writing; some familiarity with measuring

Preparation

List about 10 items for a scavenger hunt. Include a few that involve measuring:

Find the bookshelf that is 27 inches from the floor.
Name a book on it.

Find the green bin that is 18 inches wide and 3 feet long.
What’s in it?

Find a box that is 3 times longer than it is wide.
What’s in it?

1. Measure

Hand out scavenger hunt lists, pencils, and rulers to each child or pair.

Note how children are handling measurement. If needed, demonstrate how to measure accurately.

2. Share answers

Ask volunteers to tell the group what they found, or ask pairs to compare answers.

Variations

Measuring and More (Grades 3, 4)

Include scavenger hunt items that involve shapes, patterns, and numbers.

Find the box that contains more than 100 crayons. What color is it?
Find a hexagonal window. What room is it in

On the Playground (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Include scavenger hunt items that require looking outdoors.

Find the section of the playground fence that is 5 feet high. What is the name of the street it borders?
Find a tree with symmetrical leaves. Where is it located?

Metric Measurements (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Most countries outside the U.S. use metric measurements. Do the activity using metric measurements and meter sticks or rulers with centimeters. Children familiar with the metric system teach others.

Books and Other Resources

Measuring Penny (Grades 3, 4)
Leedy, Loreen. NY: Henry Holt and Co., 2000.

My Very Own Room/Mi propio cuartito (Grades 3, 4)
Amada Irma Perez. San Francisco: Children’s Press, 2000.

Spotlight

cabinets Measuring with rulers

mesure with finger Accurate measurement invilves several steps:

Line up the ruler with the item to be measured.
Start measuring exactly at "0."
If the item is longer than the ruler, keep track of where the ruler ends. Slide the ruler to continue measuring, starting at 0.
Pay attention to the units. If you start measuring in inches, stay in inches—or make sure to convert inches to feet.

Connections

Measuring and cutting

Ever heard the saying “measure twice, cut once”? Measurement mistakes can be annoying, dangerous, and expensive. If you cut your hair too short in one section, you’ll need to cut everything shorter in order to make your hair the same length all around. If you cut fabric too short for curtains, you’ll need to buy more fabric or abandon the project. If you cut a wooden beam too narrow, it might not support enough weight for safety.

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