Math Lesson Plan: Using a Ruler

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to use a ruler, understand the relationship between inches, feet and yards and identify what a perimeter is.

Lesson Opening

1. This is the last period on a hot day with no AC. This will be a short lesson with lots of moving around, followed by mumball. First, I will ask them to guess how tall I am, with candy going to the winner. Answers will be written on the board and then the children will line their rulers end to end to see how many inches I am. (Answer: 74 inches.) Perhaps, to make it easier, we will use the measuring tape rather than the rulers.

Guided Practice

1. From this initial measurement, we will explore how many feet and how many yards I am. The introduction of feet and yards fits nicely into our overall lesson plan and it will incorporate multiplication, division and fractions.

1. If there is time, we will explore perimeter by measuring their desks. We will also push the desks in the middle and make big perimeters for them to measure. We will briefly discuss the definition and purpose of understanding what the perimeter is.

1. They will also be given hints about easier ways to measure the perimeter of squares and rectangles. The idea will be to have them come to this realization themselves as they begin to make work easier on themselves.

Independent Practice

1. Interspersed with the introduction will be time for them to measure things individually. For instance, how long is your foot. Answers will be put on the board and we will compare them.

1. Perimeter will be a two person job with one person measuring the long sides, one person measuring the short sides and then having them both add them up.

Closing

1. I will ask them why it is important that they learn perimeter.