April 7 - 11

 I can
-Measure length with non-standard units by tiling, iterating, or using a self- created measuring tool.
-Compare and order measurements of different lengths measured with the same non-standard units, and explain the choice of unit.

What Do Kids Need to Consider When Measuring Length?

Follow these guidelines to measure length accurately:

•	Start at one end of the object.
•	Finish at the other end of the object.
•	Line up the units in a straight line.
•	Do not leave any spaces.
•	Do not overlap units.

 

What Is a Non-standard Length Unit?

Other examples of non-standard units include the following:

Finger lengths

Hand spans

Paper strips

Wooden rods

Linking cubes

Measuring by Iterating

When many copies of a given unit are not available, students can also measure by iterating one or two copies of a unit.

To iterate with one unit,

•	Start at one end of the object.
•	Mark where the unit ends.
•	Move the unit forward to the mark.
•	Repeat until you reach the end of the object.

To iterate with two units, you start by lining up the first two units. Then, you can move the first unit to the other side of the second. Instead of making a mark, the second unit shows were the current measurement finishes.

Different Measurements of the Same Length

The size of the unit impacts the number of units needed to measure an object.

This pencil is 15 linking cubes long. It is also 6 paper clips long.

The linking cubes are shorter, so it takes more linking cubes to measure the same length.

Helping Your Child

Some of the words your child will meet in this topic are words that you can easily use together in everyday conversations. These include:

•	length
•	distance
•	height

The term “non-standard unit” might not come up on its own in everyday conversation. But when you measure something with your child, you can certainly reinforce the word “unit.”

Definitions

non-standard unit: a unit that can vary in size, for example, a pencil, a footprint, a cup, or a paper clip

unit: an item that is iterated (repeated over and over) so that the length of another object can be compared to it

We created three routes from one point in our classroom to the exit and students were challenged with figuring out which route was shortest, which was longest, and the difference between the shortest and longest. There was some trial and error and we learned why it is important to use the same unit of measurment when comparing lengths!

Next, students measured each other's heights, three times, using different non-standard units each time. We will be working with centimeters this week!

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I can:
-Discuss ways to respect plants and animals while interacting in various environments.
-Explain positive and negative impacts of human behaviour on plants and animals. 
-Represent the life cycles of various plants and animals. Discuss and compare life cycles of various plants and animals.
-Discuss how humans might interact with land, plants, and animals if they see land, plants, and animals as equals.
-Identify ways in which people show care for land, plants, and animals through cultural practices. 

Thank you to the parent volunteers who joined us for our hike in Fish Creek Park. We have spent some time in the classroom looking at the Friends of Fish Creek web-pages and are learning about some of the plants that are native to Fish Creek Park! We wanted to take a trip down as close to the Spring Equinox as possible to see some of the plants just as they are beginning to wake up from dormancy. 

The students used iPads to take photos of the plants they found. Next time we go down, we will see a big change in these plants and we will use the Friends of Fish Creek gallery to help identify the plants!