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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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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Estimation Activity: Estimating Space Worksheet Set
Use this estimation activity to give your students practice estimating space, converting measurements, and problem solving.
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Customary Measurement Conversion Lesson — Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to customary length conversions with our customary measurement conversion lesson slides that are easy to download and use.
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Customary Measurement Conversion Worksheet Set — “Riddle Me!”
Share this customary measurement conversion worksheet set with your students and watch them laugh while learning to convert customary units of length, weight, and volume!
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Capacity Measurement for Kindergarten Worksheets
Improve students' basic understanding of Capacity Measurement with a set of printable Capacity Worksheets for Kindergarten.
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Measuring, Estimating, & Comparing Length Worksheets - 1st Grade
Use this printable set of measurement worksheets to Introduce your first graders to the concepts of measuring, comparing, and estimating length in nonstandard units.
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Comparing and Ordering Length Task Cards (1-2)
Practice comparing and ordering the lengths of objects with a set of printable informal measurement task cards.
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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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1st Grade Measurement Test
Assess your first graders’ skills with measuring length using a printable 1st Grade Measuring Length Test.
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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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Measuring Length Interactive Task Cards
Practice measuring objects to the nearest inch, half-inch, and quarter inch with an engaging set of self-checking interactive task cards.
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Measuring Length with Standard Units Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to the formal units to measure length with an engaging, interactive teaching slide deck.
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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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Measurement Conversions - Length – Worksheet
Use ratio reasoning to practice converting length measurements with this worksheet.
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5th Grade Geometry Test
Assess your students' skills with quadrilaterals, coordinate grids, and volume of solid figures using a printable 5th Grade Geometry Test.
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Telling Time Test - Nearest 5 Minutes
Assess your student's abilities to tell time to the nearest five minutes with a printable telling time assessment.
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Time to 5 Minutes - Google Slides Game
Practice telling time to the nearest five minutes with an engaging Telling Time Mystery Picture Game!
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Interactive Days of the Week Math Game
Introduce your little learners to the days of the week and months of the year with a self-checking interactive Calendar Math Game.
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Elapsed Time Anchor Chart - Strategies
Teach your students how to tell elapsed time with multiple strategies using a printable Elapsed Time Anchor Chart.
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Days of the Week Activity Sheets
Use these Days of the Week printables to introduce your students to basic calendar concepts like ordering days of the week, writing their names and more!
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Elapsed Time Trivia Game
Play an interactive Math game show to practice telling time and calculating elapsed time.
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Telling Time - Worksheets
Practice telling time on a clock with a set of 5 printable telling time worksheets.
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Telling the Time Poster
Help your students learn to tell the time to the hour, half-hour, quarter, and minute with a printable Telling the Time anchor chart PDF.
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Measurement Conversion Game - SCOOT!
Grab a handy set of 24 measurement conversion task cards to use as a whole class scoot activity.
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Elapsed Time Anchor Chart - Printable
Show students how to calculate elapsed time on an open number line with a printable elapsed time anchor chart.
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Days of the Week Playdough Mats
Use playdough mats to help your students identify, sequence and spell the days of the week.
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Measuring Area Using Informal Units Interactive Activity
Use this set of ten interactive slides to help your students practice measuring the area of regular and irregular shapes using informal (square) units.
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Perimeter of Composite Shapes Worksheets
Use these perimeter of composite shapes worksheets in your math lessons when teaching your students how to calculate more advanced perimeters.
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Perimeter Practice Problems With Visuals – Worksheet
Download these perimeter practice problems to use when exploring measurement concepts in your math lessons.
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Finding the Perimeter Interactive Activity
Get students finding the perimeter of shapes with this self-checking digital resource, perfect for lesson introductions and wrap-ups.
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5th Grade Math Review – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Review important 5th-grade math standards with a student-led interactive activity that covers 12 different mathematical concepts.
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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.
- Measurement Worksheets
- Measurement Games
- Measurement Posters
- Measurement Projects
- Measurement Templates
- Measurement for Pre-K
- Measurement for Kindergarten
- Measurement for 1st Grade
- Measurement for 2nd Grade
- Measurement for 3rd Grade
- Measurement for 4th Grade
- Measurement for 5th Grade
- Measurement for 6th Grade