Measurement

Hi.

We meet again in the 4th assessment, measurement. In this entry, we will look at the learning experience that related to teaching measurement in the early childhood. Measurement is always happened in our daily life and it is everywhere. Most of our daily activities need measurement. The examples of measurement that we encounter are measure the amount of ingredients in cooking, our height or weight. 

As an adult, if we were asked a question on "how long is this table?" we will answer, "it is about 10 cm". However, if we asked children the same question, they will answer, "it is about the length of my hand". Therefore, in the early childhood, teachers need to create learning experience that assist the development of early sense in measurement. What teachers could do in teaching measurement is famalirising the students with non standard units followed by the standard units (Origo, 2008).


However, there are some teaching sequences that could be followed when teaching measurement in the early childhood:

• Identify the attributes to be measured

Example: water (volume) can be measured using pail

2 pails of water

• Similarities and differences

Similarities- both can be used to measured volume

Eg: 1 glass of water

    1 jug of water

Differences- The volume of water in the jug is more than the volume in the glass 

• Compare the attributes

Looking at the similarities or differences that they can see in the attributes. Attributes could be spatial:length, area and volume; physical: mass (weight) and temperature; or have no obvious physical connection with objects: time (Queensland Studies Authority, 2005).

It can be direct comparison; comparing two similar objects and different objects or indirect comparison; comparing two objects that cannot be directly aligned (the length of a desk and the height of a doorway).

• Order

Ordering thing according to the attribute

long-longer-longest

• Non-standard units

Non-standard units are practical, personal and familiar, and are used in real-life situations.

Eg: Students compare themselves to see if they are shorter or taller than the gingerbread man.

• Standard units

Standard units enable more accurate and consistent measuring in different places by different people and facilitate communication that yields the same understanding about measurements (Queensland Studies Authority, 2005).

Learning Experience:

Measuring length is a crucial element that need to be focused on in the children's learning (Schwartz, 1995). Taking from this understanding, an initial activity that involved creating a measuring device which compared the length of desk to the length of a paperclip and ice cream sticks is conducted in the tutorial class. At the end of the activity, students are able to use an appropriate unit in measuring, create a measuring device and make an indirect comparison.


Activity 1: Use and appropriate units in measuring

Q: How many ice cream sticks are used to measure the length of this table?

A: It is 4 and a half.

Q: How many paper clips are used to measure the length of this table?

A: 16 paper clips

From the activity, teacher could develop students' understanding on the concept of choosing appropriate units visually. Students can see that the larger the unit, the smaller the measurement or vice versa. For example, from the activity above, students realised that the length of the same desk may need 16 paper clips long or only 4 and half ice cream sticks long. However, although the number of ice cream stick is less that the paper clips, the table's length is more accurate to be measured using the paper clips.

Activity 2: Create a measuring device

Valuing the usefulness of measuring length is a crucial element that drives children's learning (Schwartz, 1995). Therefore, in this activity students are given an opportunity to create the own device using a long strip of paper ribbon, a paper clips (act as the unit's measurement) and a pencils to measure the length of the table. By laying the ribbon out flat and marking a point (0), the student can lay the paper clip down, ensuring one end is resting on the mark, and draw another mark on the top of the paperclip.  By repeating this process, they will eventually be left with a strip of ribbon, with equal markings spaced out the length of a paper clip.Students will then need to number each mark in a sequential order.  The measuring device can then be used to measure different objects.

creating / making a measuring device

The measuring device (paper ribbon) shows that the length of the table is 20 paper clips. 

Activity 3: Making an indirect comparison

In this activity, students could use the measuring device that they made in the second activity to measure the length of the other objects. This process is called indirect comparison. In the indirect comparison activity, students could see and understand the links in all the activities conducted; using appropriate unit, making measuring device and doing indirect comparison. 

Making an indirect comparison; the length of the table to the length of the stove using the measuring device (paper ribbon).

The length of the stove is 16 paper clips (unit).

The length of this circle is about 20 paper clips (unit).

After students already understand the non standard units measurement, teachers could introduce the early childhood students to the standard unit measurement. Using everyday stand units measurement could help the students to understand the topic better. 


Standard unit measuring experiences:


1. Length

Measure of something from one point to another point. Standard unit for length are the metre (m), the centimetre(cm) and the kilometre(km).

2. Area

Area is associated with coverage. Look for areas that are covered by objects that can be counted (Yelland et al, 1999).

3. Volume and capacity

    

Refers to three-dimensional space that is occupied by a substance, such as water and sand (Yelland et al, 1999). Standard units for volume are the litre(L) and mililitre(mL).

4. Mass

Mass are related to matter and heaviness of objects. The standard units for mass are the kilogram(kg) and gram(g)

5. Time

Understanding the sequence of events (eg: mathematics period is after geography period), duration of events (mathematics period is 1 hour) and the length of various units of time (eg: minutes, hours).

6. Temperature

Temperature is the state or degree of hot and cold in atmosphere, objects or body. The units for temperature is Kelvin (K), Celsius ( °C) and Fahrenheit ( °F).