Lesson Plan: Introduction to Measurement (Length)

Teacher Information

- Subject: Mathematics
- Year Level: Years 1-2
- Duration: 25 minutes
- Class Size: 21 students
- Curriculum Area: Measurement
- Level: Level 1 of the New Zealand Curriculum
- Objective: Students will understand and begin to measure length using non-standard units.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify objects to be used as non-standard units of measurement.
2. Use non-standard units to measure various objects around the classroom.
3. Record measurements simply and discuss size comparisons between different items.

Resources

- Collection of objects for measuring (pencils, small blocks, footprints, paper clips)
- Worksheets for recording measurements (prepared in advance)
- Measuring tape (for demonstration purposes)
- Storybook (such as "How Big is a Foot?" by Rolf Myller)

Lesson Structure

Introduction [5 minutes]

1. Welcome and Settling: Greet the students and briefly discuss the day's topic: Measurement with non-standard units.
2. Engagement Story: Read a brief story or a section from “How Big is a Foot?” to provide a contextual understanding of measurement.

Main Activity [15 minutes]

1. Demonstration:
- Show how to measure the length of a table using a non-standard unit (e.g., paper clips).
- Demonstrate how to lay the units down end to end without gaps or overlaps.
2. Student Activity:
- Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with different objects to use as measurements.
- Let students measure various objects around the classroom using their assigned non-standard units.
- Students should measure at least three different objects, recording their findings on the worksheet.

Conclusion [5 minutes]

1. Group Sharing:
- Have each group share one interesting find from their measurements. Discuss any differences that arose from using different units.
2. Reflection:
- Discuss why different measurements might have been obtained with different objects and the importance of having standard units (leading into future lessons).

Assessment

- Informal observation of group activities to assess understanding and participation.
- Review completed worksheets to ensure students were able to measure and record correctly.

Differentiation

- Support: Work closely with students who struggle, guiding them in placing and counting the units.
- Extension: Challenge advanced students to estimate lengths before measuring and compare their estimations to their actual measurements.

Relevant Links

- NZ Maths - Measurement Activities (Link not currently available but typically accessible for resources related to the New Zealand Curriculum)
- Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) - New Zealand Curriculum Online for more on the curriculum standards.

Notes

Ensure all activities are interactive and allow for hands-on learning. The emphasis for this age group should be on understanding and fun, rather than precision, which suits their developmental stage.

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This lesson plan is aligned with the educational curriculum standards of New Zealand, particularly at level 1, focusing on practical application and understanding of basic mathematical concepts like measurement.