The students in Ms. Smith’s class come in from recess having an argument. Ms. Smith asks the children about the
argument, and it soon becomes clear that the children can’t decide who is the biggest in the class. Why might the
children be confused about this question?
To settle the matter, Ms. Smith divides her class up into groups, and gives each group a different item to
use:
- One group gets a ball of yarn.
- One group gets a stack of math textbooks.
- One group gets an unsharpened pencil.
- One group gets a playground ball.
- One group gets a yard stick (a 3-foot ruler).
How could the children in each group use this item to help them answer the question? Be extremely specific.
Would you classify any of your answers to the previous problem as a comparison? As a measurement? What does
your work tell you about how these ideas are related?
What does your work with Ms. Smith’s class tell you about how we use a unit when we measure? Be as specific as possible.