Grade 3 is getting several updates this summer, and the first is in Module 6, Topic B. In this Module, students help a friend find something to do while all of his friends are out of town for the summer – volunteering at the science center! Before he can start, though, he has to pass a short measurement test. As they help this friend, children discover more accurate ways to measure–with rulers marked to the half and quarter inch–and ways to track and interpret measurement data using line plots.

In their first task, students explore inch rulers, then add and label tick marks to make the ruler capable of measurement to the half inch. They use this new ruler to measure a few everyday objects. Successfully completing the first task gets your virtual student approved to volunteer at the science center, where more measurement fun ensues. Students measure more objects, this time sea creatures, using a half-inch ruler. 

The science center employee shares with our friend that they care for many different species of plants and animals, all of which need to be measured accurately. To do this, they divide their half-inch ruler even further, into fourths. Students drag and label the new tick marks to create a ruler capable of measurement to the quarter-inch.

Next, students use this new ruler to measure the other creatures at the science center, like a caterpillar, lizard, chameleon, and more! Their growth helps our friend and the science center employee determine that the animals are healthy!

Our friend then travels over to the science center greenhouse, where their next task is to measure the plants there. They have more practice measuring with a ruler marked in quarter inches, then create a simple line plot to show the lengths of the various plants. Students then answer questions based on a line plot, like how many plants are x inches long, what is the length of the longest plant measured, and which category has no plants of that length. They also compare the number of data points in different categories, noting which has more or less. 

In the end, students pull all they’ve learned about measurement and line plots together to help our friend track how conditions help or hinder a plant’s growth. They measure more plants to the quarter inch and interpret more data from line plots, and also sum two categories from a line plot to find the total number of data points in those categories. Our friend ends his day of volunteering at the science center feeling confident in his skills and excited to go back for more another day!

For Students: Through this new topic, they are honing their measurement skills and beginning to recognize that the more detailed the ruler, the more accurate their measurements can be. As they track the growth of plants and animals in the science center, plotting their data on a line plot helps them see just how much information this simple representation can reveal.

For Teachers: The addition of this topic strengthens students’ understanding of accurate measurement with standard units. The science center scenario also teaches students how math skills in measurement and data interpretation can be put to practical use in real-world situations.

You can check out the new Grade 3 Module 6 Topic B in your teacher dashboard and support your learners as they grow and apply their understanding of measurement to the half and quarter inch. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@happynumbers.com if you have any further questions or support needs. We’re here for you!