Fifth Grade Measurement Math Lessons
Teachers often look for new and effective ways to engage children in the classroom. When it comes to teaching elementary school children, math lessons can be quite a challenge. While curriculums vary between schools, getting children to understand the different units of measurement and how they are related is one of the main concentrations in fifth-grade math.
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Time
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Students need to be able to add and subtract time. Remind the class that there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and continue as high up as you would like to go. Once this is established, set up an example in which conversion of time will be necessary. For example, say that it takes one hour to ride the bus from home to school in the morning, but that it is a 15-minute walk to the bus stop. Allow students to raise their hands and answer questions. Explain how you convert hours to minutes before you can add the two numbers together. For a tougher challenge, have students try to solve problems involving two levels of time (hours to seconds).
Metric System
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The metric system is used all over the world to measure length, mass and volume. Focus on one type of measurement. Have the class make a poster illustrating the different ways to measure that concept. Start at the base measurement. For example, choose the meter for length. Explain how decameter, hectometer and kilometers are ways to measure lengths that are bigger than a meter and decimeter, and that centimeter and millimeter represent ways to measure shorter lengths. Use a meterstick as a visual aid. Have students chart the names of all four sets of measurements and their values in relation to the base measurement.
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Metric Conversions
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To convert between metric units, move the decimal place to the left or the right. Use an example written on a whiteboard to help students visualize the concept as you teach it. Move the decimal place within your example to change from deci- to centi- to kilo units. If a student wants to volunteer, he or she can come to the front of the class and move the decimal place for you.
Temperature
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Fifth-graders need to know how to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, you need to multiply the temperature by 9/5 and then add 32. Conversely, to figure out a Celsius temperature, subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit value and multiply by 5/9. Teach these concepts, and then individually help students as they work on problems on their own. Some students may have difficulty knowing which way they need to convert their value, and other students may need help knowing how to multiply with a fraction. If your students use calculators show them how to use parenthesis to correctly figure out the temperature ( (C*(9/5))+32=F ).
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References
- Photo Credit math image by jaddingt from Fotolia.com
