How to Teach Length & Distance in Grade Five

Fifth graders are able to learn to convert between different units of measurement.

Length is the measurement of longest dimension of an object in two dimensions. Because they are measured similarly, length may seem synonymous with distance, but they are different concepts. Length is a dimension, while distance describes how far apart two objects are from each other. Because distance is measured in the same way length is measured, inches, feet, yards and miles can be used to describe both. Fifth-grade students should be able to differentiate between the two and to convert distance and length in different units.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Calculator

Instructions

Teaching Length

1. Show the ruler, yard stick, and measuring tape and let the students identify them and state the purpose of each.

2. Ask the students to define length. Tell them that length is the longest side of an object and write this on the board. Draw rectangles on the board and ask them which side is the length.

3. Divide the students into groups. Reinforce their understanding of length by having them estimate the length of objects around the room and write down their estimates. Have them measure the objects in inches with their rulers to see how accurate their estimates were.

Teaching Distance and Distance Conversions

1. Ask the students to define distance. Write on the board that distance how far apart two objects are from each other. Ask them to define the difference between distance and length. Reread the definitions for length and distance from the board. Ask questions such as, "Is this side of the classroom a measure of length or distance?" and, "Is the number of feet between me and your desk a measure of length or distance?" to find out whether they understand the difference. Continue until they fully understand.

2. Explain the units used to measure length and distance. Draw a line an inch long on the board and ask the students how long it is.

3. Draw a line a foot long foot on the board. Ask students to tell you how many inches are in a foot.

4. Draw a line a yard long on the board and ask the students how many feet it contains.

5. Ask the students whether they know how many yards are in a mile. Write on the board that one mile is equal to 1,760 yards. Ask the groups to use their calculators to tell you how many feet are in a mile. They should multiply 1,760 by three and come up with 5,280.

6. Write a story problem on the board about visiting your friend's house, which is five miles away. Ask the groups of students to calculate the distance from your house to your friend's house in inches. They should come up with 316,800. One way is to multiply by multiplying five miles by 1,760 yards, multiplying that answer by three feet and that answer by 12 inches. Another is to multiply five miles by 5,280, the number of feet in a mile, and multiply that answer by 12, the number of inches in a foot. This teaches the students the relationship between length and distance and how to convert distances into various units of measurement.

7. Summarize the lesson and encourage the students to ask questions. Ask them what the difference is between length and distance. Reinforce that length is the longest side of an object and distance is the measurement between two objects.

References

• Instructorweb: Measuring Length, Height Lesson Plan