Twelve Snails To One Lizard
Objective:
Introduce unit of measurement:
yard.
Materials: Twelve Snails To One Lizard by Susan Hightower, yard stick, and computer with Internet connection.
Book
Overview:
Milo the Beaver needs to cut a
branch exactly 36 inches long to bridge a gap in his dam. Bubba Frog suggests
different ways of measuring it--line up 36 healthy snails, feelers to tails, or
3 iguana lizards, nose to tail, or Betty Jane Boa all by herself. But the snails
are too slow lining up, the lizards are too frisky, and it turns out that Bubba
has a yardstick at home.
Procedure:
The teacher will begin by reviewing standard units of measurement.
Review inch and foot. Also review ruler use.
Set purpose for reading: What can we use to measure longer distances like a yard or field?
Read story.
Discuss problem and solution.
Introduce that there are three feet in a yard. Take students out of classroom.
Working in cooperative groups, have them go around school and estimate the length of distances such as from class to bathroom. class to cafeteria, length of field, length of library, etc., then measure it.
Fill information on Yard Hunt Activity sheet.
Web Activities:
Continue work on Measurement
Book Project (see Web Activities).
Assessment:
Accuracy of cooperative group estimating and measuring of distances..
Home Learning: List ten distances to measure with yards.
Extension Activity: Write a story with characters from all the measurement stories we have read in this unit. Have them tell each other about what they have learned about measurement.
