Materials
Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
Rulers
Gummi worms
Instructions
1. Read Inch by Inch.
2. Discuss things that can be measured with a ruler and things that cannot. Examples: leaves can be measured, voices cannot; radios can be measured, radio music cannot.
3. Have rulers on hand to demonstrate how to find an inch, two inches, etc. Let the children practice.
4. Hand out one or two gummi worms to each child. Measure the worms and discuss how long they are. Children can eat the gummi worms.
5. Talk about some of the items measured by the inchworm in Inch by Inch. Discuss the difference between items in nature and human-made objects. Ask the children to name items in nature they might find around the school or at home (rocks, twigs, leaves, grass, etc.). 6. Weather permitting, take the children outside. Invite them to find and collect a few items in nature that are at least one inch long. If weather is inclement, explore items in the room.
7. Once back inside, measure the items the children collected. List the names and lengths of the items the children measured. Discuss the longest, shortest, fattest, hardest to measure, etc.More to doArt: Children can either make their own playdough or work with pre-made dough or clay. Remind the children about some of the items in nature they measured or named earlier. Let the children create an object from nature that is one inch long or wide, then one that is three inches, then whatever they choose. It can be a plant, an animal, a fish, a rock, etc. They can even invent their own animal or plant. Let each child talk about his creation and give its measurements.Math: Make a graph of the length of the items the children found outside. * Measure body parts such as heads, arms, fingers and feet with a tape measure or ruler.More science: You could bring inchworms into the classroom so that the children can observe their movements.
