Useful Referents for Common Metric Measurements
Linear Measurement
- Centimeter: the width across a child’s little finger at the first joint, or the width of a standard paper clip
- Millimeter: the thickness of a dime, or the diameter of the wire on a standard paperclip
- Meter: height of a door knob from the floor
- Kilometer: distance you could walk comfortably in 15 minutes; or six-tenths of a mile
Mass
- Gram: a regular jelly bean, a standard paper clip
- Milligram: one thousandth of a regular jelly bean
- Kilogram: two footballs, a little more than 2 pounds (2.2 pounds)
Volume
- Milliliter: the liquid you could fit in a regular-sized jelly bean or in a base-10 unit cube
- Liter: a “1-liter” bottle, a little more than a quart (1.06 quarts)
Excerpted From:
Excerpt from Exploring Science and Mathematics in a Child's World, by G. A. Davis & J. D. Keller, 2009 edition, p. 67.
© 2009, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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