Can You Measure Up?An introductory lesson on units of

measure

How did standard measures develop?

a measurement was to avoid confusion.

As people began to trade,they realized that it was importantfor everyone to understand how much

Why is standard measuring important?

Back in the old days, people would use their bodies to measure. One part of their body they would use is their feet.

Do you see how this could be a problem?

Interesting Facts

• Beans and seeds were used to measure weights. A small bean called a “karob” was used by Arabs to weight valuables such as gold, silver, and jewels – still used today as a “carat.”

• The height of horses is still sometimes measured using “hands.”

IntroductionThe metric system is a group of units used to make any kind of measurement, such as length,

temperature, time, or weight. No other system of measurement ever used equals the metric

system in simpleness.

Common Modern Units for Measuring Length

English: inches, feet, yards, miles

Metric: millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers

inches

centimeters

Common Modern Units for Measuring Weight

English: ounces, pounds, tons

Metric: milligrams, grams, kilograms

gramspounds

Weight is a measure of the heaviness of an object due

to the pull of gravity.

Which unit of measure would you use to measure the weight

of these objects?ounces

grams

tons

pounds Kilograms

Types of Scales Used to Measure Weight

Have you ever wondered what your weight would be on other planets?

If you weigh 50 pounds on Earth, then…

on Mars you would weigh 18.8 lbs on Jupiter you would weigh a whopping 118.2 lbs

if you traveled to Pluto you would weigh 3.3 lbs

if you went to Neptune you would weigh 56.2 lbs

Common Modern Units for Measuring Capacity

English: cups, pints, quarts, gallons

Metric: milliliters, liters

gallons or liters

cups

Pints or quarts

Capacity is the maximum amount of liquid an object

will hold.

Which unit of measure would you use to measure the capacity

of these items?

gallons

gallonspints ounces

milliliters

quarts or liters

gallons

Common Modern Units for Measuring Temperature

FahrenheitCelsius

Temperature is the degree of heat within a

body, object or environment.

How do you use measurement in your everyday life?

Using measurement tools to cook have

been used both in the past and in the

present.