Primary Type: Formative Assessment
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 43593
Rulers and Meter Sticks
Students choose an appropriate tool to measure a hallway.
Subject(s): Mathematics
Grade Level(s): 2
Intended Audience: Educators
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: MFAS, meter, centimeter, inch, length, measure, tool
Resource Collection: MFAS Formative Assessments
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASK
Instructions for Implementing the Task
This task can be implemented individually, with small groups, or with the whole class.
1. The teacher reads the following to the student aloud.
Think about the length of the hallway outside. I have a centimeter ruler and a meter stick to choose from. Which tool do you think would be better to measure the
length of the hallway outside your classroom? Why do you think so?
2. The teacher then asks, “If you measured with the centimeter ruler, would it take more iterations (times to move the ruler) or fewer iterations? Why do you think so?”
TASK RUBRIC
Getting Started
Misconception/Error
The student does not understand which tool would be better and which would require more iterations to measure the hallway.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student is unable to explain why the meter stick would be the better tool to measure the hallway and states that it would take fewer iterations to measure using the
centimeter ruler, “because it is smaller.”
Questions Eliciting Thinking
Why do you think the centimeter ruler would be better?
Wouldn’t you have to move it lots of times?
Instructional Implications
page 1 of 3 Provide repeated opportunities for the student to learn that the smaller the unit used to measure a length, the more of those units that will be needed. After allowing the
student to experience this a few times in the context of actual measurement tasks, guide the student to explicitly state this idea.
Allow the student to measure long distances with a meter stick and a centimeter (or inch) ruler and determine which would take more and why using the tool with fewer
iterations is more efficient.
Moving Forward
Misconception/Error
The student is unable to explain why the meter stick would be the better tool and cannot decide which tool would require more iterations.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student responds that the meter stick would be better but struggles to explain why that is so. The student is also unable to explain that the meter stick would require
fewer iterations to measure the hallway.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
What makes the meter stick the better tool?
Why do you think it takes more centimeter rulers to measure the hallway?
Which is longer, the meter stick or the centimeter ruler? What difference will that make when you are measuring long distances?
Instructional Implications
Provide repeated opportunities for the student to learn that the smaller the unit used to measure a length, the more of those units that will be needed. After allowing the
student to experience this a few times in the context of actual measurement tasks, guide the student to explicitly state this idea. Give the student future opportunities to
determine which tool would be better to measure lengths and ask the student to explain.
Almost There
Misconception/Error
The student struggles to explain why the meter stick is the better tool.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student responds that the meter stick would be best but struggles to explain why that is so. However the student does say that the meter stick would take fewer
iterations because it is longer.
Questions Eliciting Thinking
What about the meter stick makes it better?
Would it take more or fewer iterations to measure the hallway with the meter stick? Why is that helpful?
Do you think it would be more or less accurate to use the centimeter ruler? Why?
Instructional Implications
Encourage the student to state and explain to other students that the smaller the unit used to measure a length, the more of those units that will be needed to measure.
Have the student measure the length of a longer distance using a meter stick and a centimeter (or inch) ruler to determine which is easier to use and then have the
student write why the meter stick is better.
Got It
Misconception/Error
The student provides complete and correct responses to all components of the task.
Examples of Student Work at this Level
The student states that the meter stick would be the better tool because it is longer and that it would take fewer iterations of the meter stick than the centimeter ruler
to measure the hallway.
The student may also note that it would take a lot longer to measure the hallway using the centimeter ruler or that he or she is more likely to make mistakes.
page 2 of 3 Questions Eliciting Thinking
Do you think it would be more or less accurate to use the centimeter ruler? Why?
Instructional Implications
Encourage the student to think about accuracy when measuring and why more iterations of a tool allows for more error.
Consider using the MFAS task Measuring A Curve (2.MD.1.1).
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Special Materials Needed:
Meter Stick
Centimeter Ruler
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: MFAS FCRSTEM
Name of Author/Source: MFAS FCRSTEM
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Okaloosa
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
MAFS.2.MD.1.1:
Description
Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch, foot, centimeter, or meter by selecting and using appropriate
tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
page 3 of 3