Children become engaged when they can problem-solve with a peer or a small group of peers. Peer partnering enhances learning, addresses different learning styles and builds on strengths as well as weakness of each partner. Design your lesson plan so that students can be responsible for different aspects of measuring, graphing results or sharing in coming to the solution. Choose a topic of interest, depending upon the students you have. For example, have students measure the height of all members of the class using a measuring tape, graph the results and find the average height of children in the classroom.
Estimation is important in understanding measurements. Rounding off numbers can also be integrated into measurement skill building. Have students reflect upon the school building's student population. Explain to them that most of the classrooms have an average size population. Provide students with class rosters for a small number of classrooms within the building. Ask them to figure out the average number of students per class. Based upon the average they come up with, extend this lesson by having students figure out the approximate number of students within the school building. This can also be adapted to find the average age of students within the school.
Set up stations around the room with various manipulatives such as tape measures, rulers, pieces of yarn, wooden blocks, a clock, cup, quart and gallon containers, or anything to do with measurements. At each station provide a task they must do and find the solution. For example, have students use a measuring tape to measure the width of a child's desk. Give them the width of a room and the amount of space needed for aisles between desks, and have them figure out how many desks could fit comfortably across the room. Have students measure a small, pre-cut piece of yarn, 2-3 inches in length, and then using the yarn, measure how long their leg is. Ask them then to figure out the number of inches this equates to.
As a summative assessment of multiple measuring concepts, design a scavenger hunt based upon measurements. For example, arm students with a ruler, measuring tape, a small scale, measuring cups and any other measuring implements you can think of, and have them measure and locate an item in the classroom which is 10 inches. Ask students to estimate the number of books in a bookcase, or estimate the height of the tallest object in the room. Have students measure how much different items weigh. The first student to complete the hunt with the most correct answers wins a homework pass.