Lesson Plan #2: Overview

Grade Level: Fourth Grade

Subject: Mathematics

Topic of Study: Metric Conversion

Time Allotment: 2 Hours

Standards: 

4.MD.A.1: Students will be able to solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit. Measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb., oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table.

Objective:

The "Horrendous Soup" online game allows students to practice converting units of measurement within the metric system in a recipe-type scenario.

Assessing Prior Knowledge:

Students need to understand appropriate units of measurement for everyday objects (Ex. Feet (ft.) for the length of a table, gallons for the capacity of a bathtub, pounds (lbs) for the weight of a person…etc.). Based on what they know about measurement, I will give them example problems on everyday objects they would measure and have them answer with the most appropriate unit of measurement. By having the students answer the problems either verbally or physically, I will assess what they know about the units and how they use them effectively. If the majority of the students grasp nine out of the ten practice problems correctly, that will show me what I do and don't need to cover additionally in my lesson.

Planning Instruction:

The content of this lesson should be taught at this level because Measurement and Data is a huge mathematic concept in the standards for fourth grade. Knowing how to use measurement units of length and distance, weight, and capacity appropriately will help them transition into the Geometry concepts later on. My objective aligns with the standard by having my students practice the usage of metric conversion through an online recipe game. The game focuses on different types of recipe conversion using the metric and customary system which is found in both the objective and standard. This lesson would be taught towards the end of the school year (fourth quarter) because fourth graders would have started the basics of measurement at the beginning of the school year and continued through more advanced conversions and units throughout the rest of the year until they got up to the point of complete metric conversion. That will have them freshly prepared for the start of fifth grade for the following school year.