Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide Second Grade
Unit 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
Common Core
In this cluster children will develop an understanding of the meaning and processes of measurement, including transitivity (e.g., if
object A is longer than object B and object B is longer than object C, then object A is longer than object C). They should
understand linear measure as an iteration of units and use rulers and other measurement tolls with that understanding. They
understand the need for equal-length units, the use of standards units of measure (centimeter and inch), and the inverse relationship
between the size of a unit and the number of units used in a particular measurement. Children should recognize that the smaller the
unit, the more iterations they need to cover a given length.
NCTM Focus in Grade 2: Teaching with Curriculum Focal Points, page 10
Research
A goal for the primary teacher is to help students understand what it means to measure length, volume, area, and weight, and to
help students understand the most important measuring instrument for young children – the ruler.
 Measurement involves a comparison of an attribute of an item or situation with a unit that has the same attribute. Lengths are
compared to units of length, time to units of time, areas to units of area, and so on. Before anything can be measured
meaningfully, it is necessary to understand the attribute to be measured.
 Meaningful measurement and estimation of measurement depend on a personal familiarity with the unit of measure being used.
 Estimation of measures an the development of personal benchmarks for frequently used units of measure help students increase
their familiarity with units, prevent errors in measurement, and aid in the meaningful use of measurement.
 Measurement instruments are devices that replace the need for actual measurement units. It is important to understand how
measurement instruments work so that they can be used correctly and meaningfully.
 A basic understanding of measurement suggests three steps to help children develop a conceptual knowledge of measuring.
(explained in more detail on pages 225 – 227 in TSC)
1. Decide on the attribute to be measured.
2. Select a unit that has that attribute.
3. Compare the units, by filling, covering, matching, or some other method, with the attribute of the object being
measured.
 Measuring instruments such as rulers, scales and clocks are devices that make the filling, covering or matching process easier.
 The number line diagram in a line plot corresponds to the scale on the measurement tool used to generate the data. In a
context involving measurement of temperature, one might imagine a picture in which the scale on the line plot corresponds to
the scale printed on a thermometer.
Teaching Student Centered Mathematics, Van De Walle land Lovin (TSCM)
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Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide Second Grade
Unit 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
When Second Grade students are provided with opportunities to create and use a variety of rulers, they can connect their
understanding of non-standard units from First Grade to standard units in second grade. For example:
By helping students progress from a “ruler” that is blocked off into colored units (no numbers)…
…to a “ruler” that has numbers along with the colored units…
…to a “ruler” that has inches (centimeters) with and without numbers, students develop the understanding that the numbers on a ruler
do not count the individual marks but indicate the spaces (distance) between the marks. This is a critical understand students need
when using such tools as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
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Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide Second Grade
Unit 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
The chart below highlights the key understandings of this cluster along with important questions that teachers should pose to
promote these understandings. The chart also includes key vocabulary that should be modeled by teachers and used by
students to show precision of language when communicating mathematically.
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Key Vocabulary
Students will understand that…

Language can be used to
describe, compare and label.

How does what we measure
determine how we measure?

Measurement can be determined
using a variety of appropriate
tools.

How can estimation show that
a measurement is reasonable?

How can we describe the
relationship between two
different units used to measure
the same object?

What drawings and equations
can be used to solve this
problem and why?

How do you know your answer
makes sense?

How can measurement data
be organized? What do we
know from the data?

Why do we tell time?

How do we tell time?

Estimation can be used to
determine the reasonableness of
an answer.

The smaller the unit used to
measure a given length, the more
units needed.

Problems can be solved using
drawings and equations.

Measurement data can be
organized into a line plot.

Time can be measured in
standard units.
Analog Clock
Centimeter
Data
Digital Clock
Foot
Height
Hour
Inch
Length
Line Plot
Measure
Meter
Minutes
Number Line
Scale
Standard Unit
Width
Yard
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Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide Second Grade
Unit 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
Throughout this cluster, students will develop their use of the 8 Mathematical Practices while learning the instructional standards.
Specific connections to this cluster and instructional strategies are provided in the following chart.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
1. Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
Cluster Connections and Instructional Strategies
Students should be presented a variety of different problem structures, involving
measurement data, leading to more challenging problems as they explore different
ways to solve. Students should understand the problem structure and have a plan for
solving it.
Students should associate the data in a line plot with the measurement tool used to
collect the data. Data are not just numbers, they are numbers with a context and should
be interpreted as such within a line plot. Students use their knowledge of various unit
lengths to make reasonable estimates.
Students should be able to defend:
 choice of measurement tool
 choice of measurement length unit
 the results of the comparison between objects or different length units
 strategy used to solve measurement word problems
 estimation of length
Students will represent word problems using equations, number lines, and drawings of
rulers.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
Students will see a ruler as a number line representation. Students will select the
appropriate measurement tool depending upon the size of the object to be measured.
6. Attend to precision
Students will accurately measure to the nearest whole number using different length
units. Measuring and recording data require attention to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure
Students seek to understand a word problem, try to determine if it is a type of problem
they know (e.g., change minus with unknown start), and seek to formulate an equation
for the problem.
8. Look for and express regularity in
repeated reasoning
Students should have multiple opportunities to apply concepts of transitivity in
comparisons of length.
4
Measure and Estimate lengths in standard units.
Common Core State Standards
2.MD.1. Measure the length of
an object by selecting and
using appropriate tools such
as rulers, yardsticks, meter
sticks, and measuring tapes.
2.MD.2. Measure the length of
an object twice, using length
units of different lengths for
the two measurements;
describe how the two
measurements relate to the
size of the unit chosen.
2.MD.3. Estimate lengths using
units of inches, feet,
centimeters, and meters.
Instructional Strategies and Resource Support
TSCM pages 223 to 233
NCTM Focus in Grade 2 pages 108 to 112
Students should identify the need for a standard unit of
measure.
Students need to develop the idea that one is the
space from the beginning of the ruler to the hash mark.
Estimate and measure length to the nearest whole
number unit both inches and centimeters. Discuss the
relationship between the difference in measurements
and the size of the units used to measure.
Estimate and measure various size objects in which
students need to choose the appropriate measurement
tool (tool should match size and shape of the object)
such as rulers, meter sticks, measuring tapes, yard sticks,
or centimeter rulers.
How much longer is ____ than ____? What is the
difference in length between ___ and ___? Use words
and numbers to explain the difference in length.
Compare measurement data.
2.MD.4. Measure to
determine how much longer
one object is than another,
expressing the length
difference in terms of a
standard length unit.
Line up objects side by side and measure only the
distance in length between the two objects (from the
end of the shorter object to the end of the longer
object)
Measure the length of like and unlike objects and use
number lines (rulers) or equations to determine the
difference between the two objects.
Formative Assessments
Measurement Hunt:
What objects can you find that
measure more than 6 inches
but less than 12 inches?
What objects can you find that
measure about one meter?
Provide three objects (shorter
than a ruler, longer than a
ruler, and a round/curved
object) for the student to
measure. Also provide a ruler,
yardstick, meter stick and
measuring tape.
Estimate the length of each
paper clip chain in
centimeters.
Then use a centimeter ruler to
find the actual measurement.
Provide two different lengths of
ribbon or string and
measurement tools. One
piece should measure 26
inches and the other piece
should measure 11 inches.
Ask the student:
What is the difference in length
between the two ribbons?
Text
Support
McGraw
Hill Math
Connects
Length:
Lessons
12-4, 12-6
Scott
Foresman
Length:
Lessons
9-2, 9-3, 9-4
Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide (Grade Level)
Cluster 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
Relate addition and subtraction to length.
Common Core State Standards
2.MD.5. Use addition and subtraction
within 100 to solve word problems
involving lengths that are given in the
same units, e.g., by using drawings
(such as drawings of rulers) and
equations with a symbol for the
unknown number to represent the
problem.
2.MD.6 Represent whole numbers as
lengths from 0 on a number line
diagram with equally spaced points
corresponding to the numbers 0, 1, 2,
..., and represent whole-number sums
and differences within 100 on a
number line diagram.
Instructional Strategies and Resource Support
TSCM pages 223 to 233
NCTM Focus in Grade 2 pages 108 to 112
Solve a variety of one and two-step word
problems (see addition/subtraction situations
chart) involving measurement data.
Encourage students to use number lines (marked
and open number lines) to solve equations related
to addition/subtraction word problems involving
measurement data.
Formative
Assessments
The parents at Mount
Joy Elementary School
are putting up some
new rope swings on
the playground. They
had 84 feet of rope.
They used 36 feet of
rope for the swings.
How many feet of
rope do they have
now?
Mary has a blue jump
rope that is 98
centimeters long and
a red jump rope that is
74 centimeters long.
How much longer is
the blue jump rope
than the red jump
rope?
Use a number line or
drawings of
measurement tools to
solve the problem.
Text
Support
Scott
Foresman
Lesson 8-15
6
Carroll County Public Schools Elementary Mathematics Instructional Guide (Grade Level)
Cluster 2.4 : Measurement (updated 4/2014)
TSCM pages 321 to 322
2.MD.7. Tell and write time from
analog and digital clocks to the
nearest five minutes, using a.m.
and p.m.
TSCM , Van De Walle, page 244
2.OA.2. Fluently add and subtract
within 20 using mental strategies. By
end of Grade 2, know from memory
all sums of two one-digit numbers.
Represent and interpret data.
2.MD.9. Generate measurement data
by measuring lengths of several
objects to the nearest whole unit, or
by making repeated measurements
of the same object. Show the
measurements by making a line plot,
where the horizontal scale is marked
off in whole-number units.
Work with time.
Instructional Strategies and Resource Support
Add and Subtract
within 20.
Common Core State Standards
Measure a collection of same type real-world
objects such as each student’s height, length of
foot/shoe, lunch boxes, pencils, crayons etc. and
organize numerical data on a line plot. Analyze
and interpret measurement data by discussing,
range, mode and clusters of data.
Make connection between a line plot and a
section of a number line that is equally spaced
and includes all numbers in the range of data
(even if there is no data for a particular number).
Interactive Clock including AM and PM
http://www.oswego.org/ocsdweb/games/ClassClock/clockres.html
Mastering the Basic Facts +/- Chps 5 & 8
Continue developing strategies for addition and
subtraction facts to 20.
Students should demonstrate mastery of all
doubles and doubles +/- 1 (Near doubles).
Formative
Assessments
Collect numerical
student data from
the length of their
left foot traced on
paper (inches or
cm). Have students
plot the data on a
line plot. Ask
questions about the
data.
Use a clock to show
each digital time.
Use skip counting to
count by 5’s around
the clock.
Write the time shown
on the analog clock.
Text
Support
Scott
Foresman
Lesson 8-14
Scott
Foresman
Lesson 8-1,
8-2, 8-3, 8-6
Math
Connects
8-3, 8-5, 8-6
Observation of
classroom
performance
Individual
Assessments
Timed Fact Test
7
Addition and Subtraction Situations (by grade level)
Results Unknown
Change Unknown
Add to A bunnies sat on the grass. B more
bunnies hopped there. How many
bunnies are on the grass now?
K Mastery
A + B =
Take from C apples were on the table. I ate B
apples. How many apples are on the
table now? K Mastery
C-B=
Total Unknown
Put Together
or Take
Apart
A red apples and B green apples are
on the table. How many apples are
on the table? K Mastery
A+B=
Compare “How many more?” version. Lucy has
A apples. Julie has C apples. How
many more apples does Julie have
than Lucy? 1st Mastery
“How many fewer?” version. Lucy has
A apples. Julie has C apples. How
many fewer apples does Lucy have
than Julie? 1st Mastery
A+=C
C–A=
Start Unknown
A bunnies were sitting on the grass.
Some more bunnies hopped there.
Then there were C bunnies. How
many bunnies hopped over to the first
A bunnies? 1st Mastery
A+=C
Some bunnies were sitting on the
grass. B more bunnies hopped there.
Then there were C bunnies. How
many bunnies were on the grass
before? 2nd Mastery
+ B = C
C apples were on the table. I ate
some apples. Then there were A
apples. How many apples did I eat?
Some apples were on the table. I ate
B apples. Then there were A apples.
How many apples were on the table
before? 2nd Mastery
1st Mastery
C-=A
- B = A
Addend Unknown
Both Addends Unknown
C apples are on the table. A are red
and the rest are green. How many
apples are green? 1st Mastery
A+=C
C–A=
Grandma has C flowers. How many
can she put in her red vase and how
many in her blue vase? 1st Mastery
“More” version suggests operation.
Julie has B more apples than Lucy.
Lucy has A apples. How many apples
does Julie have? 1st Mastery
“Fewer” version suggests operation.
Lucy has B fewer apples than Julie.
Julie has C apples. How many apples
does Lucy have? 1st Mastery
“Fewer” version suggests wrong
operation. Lucy has B fewer apples
than Julie. Lucy has A apples. How
many apples does Julie have?
2nd Mastery
A + B =
“More” version suggests wrong
operation. Julie has B more apples
than Lucy. Julie has C apples. How
many apples does Lucy have?
2nd Mastery C - B = + B = C
C =+