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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Selecting Units of Capacity – Sorting Activity
A sorting activity to help students identify containers that should be measured in fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons.
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Three Little Pigs Area Worksheet
A worksheet to practice finding area using square units.
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Let's Get Measuring with Connecting Cubes
A set of templates to use when measuring with informal units.
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Months of the Year Bingo
Recognize and order the months in a year with a printable Bingo Game!
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Time and Elapsed Time - Task Cards
Solve a variety of time and elapsed time problems with a set of Elapsed Time to the Hour and Half-Hour task cards.
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Elapsed Time Interactive Word Problems Game
Practice solving elapsed time word problems with an interactive quiz game for 3rd and 4th graders.
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Telling Time to 5 Minutes- Color By Number PDF
Tell time to the nearest five minutes and have fun with a Telling Time Math Coloring Page.
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It's About Time! Telling Time Unit Introduction Slides
Introduce your students to the concepts and history of time and for investigate the relationship between units of time with an interactive teaching slide deck.
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Days of the Week Poster
Display the days of the week with a bright and cheery Days of the Week poster for your classroom.
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Telling Time to the Minute Bingo
A set of 32 bingo cards using analog clocks to practice telling time to the minute.
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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 of Composite Shapes Task Cards
Have your students find the perimeter of composite shapes with this set of task cards perfect for math centers.
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Gallon Man Template
Build a Gallon Man to help your students visualize the units of capacity and use when converting between units.
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Converting Units of Length – Worksheet
Demonstrate an understanding of decimal representations while converting metric units of length with this worksheet.
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Customary Units of Measurement – Poster Pack
Use this set of customary conversion posters when learning about units of length, weight, and capacity.
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I Have, Who Has? - Time to the Minute
Practice telling time to the nearest minute with this set of “I Have, Who Has” game cards.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Won the Race?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
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Determining Elapsed Time-Word Problems Worksheet
Print an elapsed time word problems worksheet to provide students with practice measuring the passage of time.
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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.
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Classroom Clock Labels - Flower Time Petals
Use our Flower Wall Clock Labels to create a spring-themed display to help children read the time.
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Units of Time - Time Conversion Poster
A poster highlighting the different units of time.
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Measurement Classroom Decoration Pack
A pack of page borders and cut-out decorations for your classroom.
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Days of the Week Calendar Math Display
Help your students learn about the days of the week with a printable Calendar Math Classroom Display.
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Telling Time Task Cards - Hour & Half-Hour
Practice telling time to the hour and half hour with a set of printable Telling Time Task Cards.
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Which Is Heavier? – Kindergarten Math Game
Have your students practice identifying heavier or lighter objects with an engaging “Which is Heavier" interactive game.
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Time Conversion Math Maze Worksheets
Convert units of time while finding your way through this set of 3 Time Conversion math mazes.
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Converting Units of Time Test Pack
Assess your students’ abilities to convert units of time with a set of differentiated time conversion tests.
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Elapsed Time Printables (Digital Clocks)
Download a pack of differentiated Elapsed Time worksheets to help your students practice finding elapsed time using digital clocks.
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Reading a Calendar Worksheets
Practice reading a calendar with a pack of printable monthly Calendar Worksheets.
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What Day Is It? Calendar Math Worksheet
Engage students in daily math review lessons with a printable ‘What Day Is It’ Calendar Math Worksheet.
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Elapsed Time - Math Maze Worksheets
Find start times, end times, and time elapsed to find your way through our printable Elapsed Time Math maze worksheets.
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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.
- Measurement Worksheets
- Measurement Games
- Measurement Posters
- Measurement Templates
- Measurement Projects
- 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