Year 1: Measuring with things: cubes, paper clips and hand spans
Part of the Year 1 length and height chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Measuring with things: cubes, paper clips and hand spans
We can measure length using things we have to hand. These are called non-standard units. We can use cubes, paper clips or hand spans. A hand span is the distance from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your little finger, when your hand is spread wide.
Lay the units end to end, with no gaps and no overlaps. Then count how many there are. Every unit must be the same size.
Key ideas
- Use units of the same size.
- Lay them end to end, with no gaps.
- Count them one at a time.
- Say the unit too: 5 cubes, 5 paper clips, 5 hand spans.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 7 cubes
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.7 cubes
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 7 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 5 paper clips
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.5 paper clips
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 5 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 8 hand spans
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.8 hand spans
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 8 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Watch out
Watch out: every unit must be the same size. If you mix big cubes and small cubes, your count will not match. Also check there are no gaps between the units.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Measure things at home with paper clips, pasta shapes or hand spans. Ask: “Is your hand span the same as mine?” Grown-up hands and child hands are different sizes, so the answers differ. That shows why we need the same size of unit.
Exercise 7C Measuring with units
Non-calculatorKey words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 4 cubes
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.4 cubes
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 4 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 9 cubes
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.9 cubes
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 9 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 6 paper clips
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.6 paper clips
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 6 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 3 paper clips
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.3 paper clips
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 3 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 10 hand spans
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.10 hand spans
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 10 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 5 cubes
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.5 cubes
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 5 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 9 paper clips
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.9 paper clips
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 9 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Key words. A unit is the thing we measure with, like a cube or a paper clip.
Method. Line the units up end to end, then count them one at a time.
- Look at the row of units. The row is the length we measure.A row of 4 hand spans
- Count them one at a time. Touch each unit once as you say its number.1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. The last number you say is how long the row is.4 hand spans
Check. Count again from the other end. You get 4 again. ✓
Watch out. Do not miss a unit at the end, and do not count one twice.
Method. Compare the two numbers. The bigger number is the longer ribbon.
- Count the red ribbon. Count its cubes one at a time.Red: 5 cubes
- Count the blue ribbon. Count its cubes one at a time.Blue: 3 cubes
- Compare the two numbers. Five is more than three.5 > 3
- Write the answer. Red ribbon is longer.
Check. Line them up: the red ribbon reaches further. ✓
Watch out. Compare the numbers, not the colours.
Method. Count each cube once, one at a time, then check what was said.
- Count the cubes again. Touch each one once.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Compare with what was said. The count was 4, but the real count is 6.6 − 4 = 2
- Write the correct answer. 2 cubes were missed, so the count was too small.6
Check. Count from the other end. You still get 6. ✓
Watch out. If you lose your place, move each unit to the side as you count it.
Method. Think about what each person did. Both can count correctly, but the units are different.
- Look at Jack’s count. He used big cubes, so there are fewer of them.Jack: 4 big cubes
- Look at Oliver’s count. He used small cubes, so there are more of them.Oliver: 9 small cubes
- Compare the answers. The numbers cannot be compared, because the cubes are different sizes.Different units, different numbers
- Write the answer. Both counted right, but the cubes were different sizes.
Check. Measure again with one size of cube, and the numbers will match. ✓
Watch out. Always use units of the same size when you want to compare two lengths.
Method. Think about how big each unit is.
- Think about a hand span. A hand span is a long unit.A hand span is long
- Think about a paper clip. A paper clip is a short unit.A paper clip is short
- Compare the two. A short unit needs more of them to reach the same length.More clips than hand spans
- Write the answer. Paper clips give the bigger number.
Check. Measure the table again with clips to see that the count is bigger. ✓
Watch out. The smaller the unit, the more of them you need.