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.
- Free Plan
Selecting Units of Capacity – Measurement Game
Estimate the units needed to measure capacity with an Interactive Measurement Game!
- Plus Plan
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!
- Plus Plan
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!
- Plus Plan
Time in Minutes - Math Maze Worksheets
Tell time to the nearest minute while finding your way through this set of 2nd/3rd Grade Telling Time to the Minute Math mazes.
- Plus Plan
Elapsed Time Test
Assess your students' abilities to determine elapsed time to the whole, half, and quarter-hour with a printable Elapsed Time Test.
- Plus Plan
Converting Units of Time Test Pack
Assess your students’ abilities to convert units of time with a set of differentiated time conversion tests.
- Plus Plan
Differentiated Elapsed Time Worksheets for Beginners
Download a pack of differentiated Elapsed Time worksheets to help your students learn to calculate elapsed time in hours, half hours, and minutes.
- Plus Plan
Elapsed Time Anchor Chart - Strategies
Teach your students how to tell elapsed time with multiple strategies using a printable Elapsed Time Anchor Chart.
- Plus Plan
4th Grade Elapsed Time Word Problems - Task Cards
Solve different types of elapsed time word problems with a set of printable 4th-grade Elapsed Time Task Cards.
- Plus Plan
Days of the Week Mini Book
Create a Days of the Week Booklet to help your students identify, sequence and spell the days of the week.
- Plus Plan
Elapsed Time Rulers
Use an elapsed time ruler to help your students determine the duration of time.
- Plus Plan
Elapsed Time on a Number Line Worksheets
Practice finding elapsed time using an open number line with a pair of differentiated elapsed time 3rd grade worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Days of the Week Playdough Mats
Use playdough mats to help your students identify, sequence and spell the days of the week.
- Plus Plan
Measuring Area Using Informal Units Worksheets
Use this set of area worksheets to help your students practice measuring the area of regular and irregular shapes using informal (square) units.
- Plus Plan
Perimeter of Composite Shapes Interactive Activity
Get students to answer perimeter questions with this interactive digital resource, perfect for lesson introductions and wrap-ups.
- Plus Plan
Perimeter Practice Problems With Visuals – Worksheet
Download these perimeter practice problems to use when exploring measurement concepts in your math lessons.
- Plus Plan
Area and Perimeter Haunted House Project
Design your own haunted house and practice finding the perimeter and area of rectangular figures with an exciting Halloween Math Activity!
- Plus Plan
Area of a Triangle – Differentiated Math Mazes
Use the area of a triangle formula as you work your way through this set of differentiated math mazes.
- Plus Plan
Triangle War - Area of a Triangle Math Game
Practice finding and comparing the area of a triangle with a game of WAR!
- Plus Plan
Converting Units of Length – Board Game
Engage your students with a lively board game while practicing how to convert customary and metric units of length.
- Free Plan
Converting Units of Length – Task Cards
Use ratio reasoning to convert the length of metric and customary units with this set of 24 task cards.
- Plus Plan
Measuring to the Nearest 1/4 Inch – Match-Up Activity
Practice measuring objects to the nearest ¼ inch with this match-up activity.
- Plus Plan
Measuring to the Nearest Quarter Inch Board Game
Build measurement skills with this board game which focuses on measuring to the ¼ inch mark on a ruler.
- Plus Plan
Measuring to the Nearest 1/2 and 1/4 Inch Task Cards
Measure items to the nearest ½ and ¼ inch with this set of 20 task cards.
- Plus Plan
Draw the Perimeter Worksheet
Get students to draw a figure with a given perimeter with this perimeter of rectangles worksheet.
- Free Plan
Three Little Pigs Area Worksheet
A worksheet to practice finding area using square units.
- Plus Plan
Number Talks - Perimeter and Area Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 28 task cards.
- Free Plan
Volume Vocabulary Poster
A poster that explains the concept of volume and lists associated vocabulary.
- Free Plan
Capacity Math Investigation - Filling the Fish Tank
A mathematics investigation involving capacity, embedded in a real-world context.
- Plus Plan
Volume and Capacity Worksheets
A set of 6 worksheets aimed at improving students' basic understanding of volume and capacity.
- Plus Plan
Volume Investigation - Creating the Land of Cubes
A mathematics investigation involving volume, embedded in a real-world context.
- Plus Plan
Area and Perimeter Word Problems
Get students to solve area and perimeter word problems with this set of three worksheets for 3rd and 4th grade.