Students hone critical measurement skills, and learn to quickly estimate size using their own body parts. These measurement and estimation skills will come in handy when students try to determine whether or not they find the native or invasive species they will look for at their study site during the Investigation Component of the Biodiversity Watershed Experience.
Standards (MLR)
Science & Technology Standards
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry. Students plan, conduct, analyze data from, and communicate results of investigations, including simple experiments.
B1c. Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
B1f. Communicate, critique, and analyze their own scientific work and the work of other students.
E1. Biodiversity. Students differentiate among organisms based on biological characteristics and identify patterns of similarity.
E1a. Compare physical characteristics that differentiate organisms into groups.
E1c. Explain ways to determine whether organisms are the same species.
Learning Objectives
Students practice measurement skills in order to compare lengths, widths, heights of various plant and animal parts for identification purposes
Materials
Metric rulers
A Pile of Stuff to Measure that has representatives from these size categories: 0-2cm, 2-5cm, 5-10cm, and greater than 10 cm long/ wide/ tall
Yourself!
Time Needed
20 minutes
Activity Procedure
Ask students to find one thing in your Pile of Stuff to Measure that fits the Vital Signs datasheet size categories:
0-2 cm
2-5 cm
5-10 cm
Greater than 10 cm
Students label each item with its size category and display their labeled stuff in front of them.
Students do a Gallery Walk around the room with rulers in hand. They visit each student’s labeled stuff, and measure and check the work of their classmate. If they agree with the measurement, they write their initials on the label. If they disagree with the measurement, they write on the label the size category that they think it should be in instead.
After the Gallery Walk, students return to their own stuff. They read through the review of their work, and make adjustments. Discuss discrepancies that remain and see if you can come to a conclusion as a class.
The next round involves measuring your own body parts. Scientists often find it useful to know how wide their thumb is, how long it is from their wrist to elbow, how far their knee is from the ground, etc. They can use their thumb, forearm, and leg to make a quick estimate of size in the field without needing to take out a ruler.
Each student finds 3 body parts to measure that fit the Vital Signs size categories.
Ask students to hold up the body part that fits the 0-2 cm range, the 2-5 cm range, and so on. Make a class list of student body parts that typically fall within each size range for later reference when you are in the field doing your investigation.
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
Have one challenging Pile of Stuff at the front of the classroom. Without rulers, ask students to use their body part estimators to put the stuff into the correct size categories.
Have other ideas for reflection? Leave them in the comments section below for all of us to see and use.
Extension Ideas
Can you use your thumb as an estimate of things in the 2-5 cm range for the rest of your life? Investigate! Compare thumb width or length across the whole class. Collect thumb width or length measurements from teachers. Collect thumb width/length from younger and older siblings. What do the results tell you about your current thumb estimator?
Resources
Have an inquiry-based measurement resource to share? Please do in the comments section below.
References
Have a great reference? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
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Size Matters
Author(s):
Sarah Morrisseau, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Vital Signs Program
Table of Contents
Question(s)
How do you tell different species apart?
Overview
Students hone critical measurement skills, and learn to quickly estimate size using their own body parts. These measurement and estimation skills will come in handy when students try to determine whether or not they find the native or invasive species they will look for at their study site during the Investigation Component of the Biodiversity Watershed Experience.
Standards (MLR)
Science & Technology Standards
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry. Students plan, conduct, analyze data from, and communicate results of investigations, including simple experiments.
B1c. Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
B1f. Communicate, critique, and analyze their own scientific work and the work of other students.
E1. Biodiversity. Students differentiate among organisms based on biological characteristics and identify patterns of similarity.
E1a. Compare physical characteristics that differentiate organisms into groups.
E1c. Explain ways to determine whether organisms are the same species.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Time Needed
20 minutes
Activity Procedure
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas
Have one challenging Pile of Stuff at the front of the classroom. Without rulers, ask students to use their body part estimators to put the stuff into the correct size categories.
Have other ideas for reflection? Leave them in the comments section below for all of us to see and use.
Extension Ideas
Can you use your thumb as an estimate of things in the 2-5 cm range for the rest of your life? Investigate! Compare thumb width or length across the whole class. Collect thumb width or length measurements from teachers. Collect thumb width/length from younger and older siblings. What do the results tell you about your current thumb estimator?
Resources
Have an inquiry-based measurement resource to share? Please do in the comments section below.
References
Have a great reference? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.