Measurement Teaching Resources
Is your math class ready to dive into length measurement, measuring objects, and more measurement practice? Say hello to printable measurement worksheets, games, and digital activities created by teachers for elementary teachers!
This collection of teaching resources was created by our expert math teachers to help students meet Common Core and state-level standards. Each printable and digital download has undergone a rigorous review by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure they’re student-ready — so you can cut down on lesson planning time!
New to teaching this part of the math curriculum? Our teacher team knows what it’s like to suddenly teach a brand-new grade level, so we’ve put together a quick guide to teaching measurement!
What Are the 4 steps of Teaching and Learning Measurement?
Elementary students have to learn a long list of measurement concepts during their stint in elementary school, including:
- length
- liquid volume
- elapsed time
- mass (weight)
- area
- volume of three-dimensional figures
The good news for teachers: Most measurement concepts have very real-world applications for students. That means there's a whole world of ways to get students excited about reading a ruler or tape measure or weighing heavy objects on a scale.
But before you can get there, let's start with the basic steps to work through when you're teaching students how to measure ... well ... anything!
- Direct comparison — One of the earliest steps of learning measurement is learning the attributes that are being measured. For example, students need to learn what length is if they're ever going to measure it. That's where direct comparison (and step 2, indirect comparison), come in. If you put 2 objects side by side, students can directly compare which is longer and which is shorter and start to understand how to measure an object.
- Indirect comparison — What happens when you can't directly compare two objects? You can add a third as a reference point for indirect comparison, thereby increasing student understanding of the attribute being measured.
- Measuring with non-standard units or informal units — Just as students need to understand the attribute of measuring, they also need to understand the concept of the units we use to measure such as inches or pounds. Using non-standard units is the first step to teaching the concept of units, offering students the chance to work with different objects, counting how many of these "units" it takes to make up another. This is the fundamental base of measurement.
- Measuring with standard units — Finally, in the final step of teaching measurement, students move on to using the formal units of measurement and learn to use measurement instruments.
Why Is Teaching Measurement Important?
There are concrete uses for learning measurement that will surely spring to mind — from using a tape measure to measure a space in a home to weighing ingredients when baking to determining the capacity of a juice glass before pouring in the liquid. These are all means for quantifying our environment.
But the benefits of teaching students about measuring lines with a ruler or figuring out mass measurements from largest to smallest go well beyond the obvious. Learning to measure helps students develop spatial and number skills.
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Roll and Write - Telling Time Dice Game
Practice telling time and have fun learning how to tell time with a Roll and Write Telling Time Dice Game!
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Informal Mass - Heavier or Lighter Interactive
Practice using informal units of measurement to compare and estimate the mass of everyday objects with this engaging digital activity.
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Following Directions Worksheets - Reading a Clock Review
Practice telling time to the half-hour, quarter-hour, and five-minute mark with a pack of printable Following Directions worksheets.
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Hunt & Find - Telling Time Clock Game
Tell time to the nearest minute with a Tell the Time Clock Game for 3rd graders.
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Measuring Area Using Arrays
A worksheet to use when exploring the concept of measuring area using arrays.
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Measurement Math Center - Standard & Nonstandard Units
Create an easily differentiated measurement math center with a printable measurement task cards.
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Days of the Week Calendar Math Display
Help your students learn about the days of the week with a printable Calendar Math Classroom Display.
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Busy Binder - Kindergarten Morning Work Activity Book
Review daily calendar, math, literacy, and fine motor skills with a printable kindergarten Busy Binder workbook!
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Calculating Elapsed Time - Practice Sheets
Calculate time elapsed with a variety of scaffolded elapsed time table worksheets.
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Converting Units of Length - Math Mazes
Strengthen measurement conversion skills while converting units of length with this set of math mazes.
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Perimeter Word Problems Worksheet
Get students solving real-life perimeter word problems with a printable worksheet for 3rd and 4th grade.
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Heavy vs. Light Soccer Match Board Game
Explore comparing the mass of objects with this fun and engaging weight game board for the classroom.
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Converting Units of Length - Digital Learning Activity
Make converting lengths of measurement a breeze with a Measurement Conversion Digital Learning Activity.
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Measuring with Dinosaur Footprints - Hands-On Math Task
Engage your students in learning about informal measurement with a 'Dino-Mite' hands-on measurement activity in which they use dinosaur footprints to measure objects around the classroom.
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Build a Calendar - Following Instructions Worksheets
Practice following directions and using a calendar with a pack of 12 printable calendar worksheets.
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Telling Time - 1st Grade Math Coloring Sheet
Practice telling time to the hour and half hour with a fun Telling Time Color By Code worksheet!
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What Does the Clock Say? - Telling Time Game
Solve the math riddles to find the clocks that show the correct time with a fun Time to 5 Minute Telling Time Game.
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A.M. or P.M.? 2nd Grade Time Game
Differentiate between events that occur in A.M. and P.M. times with an interactive self-checking digital learning game.
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Calculate the Perimeter Interactive Activity
Teach students how to calculate the perimeter with this drag-and-drop digital activity, perfect for whole-class and individual learning.
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Volume with Unit Cubes – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to reinforce how to find the volume of a rectangular prism by counting the number of unit cubes.
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Customary Units of Measurement – Poster Pack
Use this set of customary conversion posters when learning about units of length, weight, and capacity.
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Metric Units of Measurement – Poster Pack
Use this set of metric conversion posters when learning about units of length, weight, and capacity.
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Perimeter Worksheet
Use these perimeter worksheets in your math lessons when teaching your students how to apply various formulae to calculate the perimeter of shapes.
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Perimeter Anchor Chart
Use this perimeter anchor chart to teach students how to find the perimeter of shapes such as squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons and parallelograms.
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Clock Reading & Elapsed Time Quiz
Assess your students' knowledge of telling time to the minute and working with elapsed time with this Clock Reading, Conversions, and Elapsed Time test.
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Heavier or Lighter Task Cards
Compare and contrast pairs of objects and encourage students to respond to questions featured on this set of task cards.
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Heavy vs. Light Digital Activity
Explore the mass of items and compare and contrast the heaviest and lightest with this set of 25 digital task cards.
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Customary Units Mass Measuring Interactive Activity
Practice the different customer units of mass with this engaging interactive activity.
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How Much Does It Measure? Interactive Measurement Game
Estimate the height, length, capacity, temperature and more with an engaging ‘How Much Does It Measure?’ Interactive Game.
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Which Unit? 3rd Grade Measurement Worksheets
Determine which customary or metric unit of measurement should be used to measure objects with a set of printable measurement worksheets for 3rd Grade.
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Mass Calculations Word Problem Worksheets
Put mass understanding into practice with this set of three word problem worksheets.
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5th & 6th Grade Metric Conversions Worksheets - Length
Practice converting, comparing, and ordering metric measurements with Metric Conversions practice sheets for 5th and 6th grade.