Measurement

Measurement and a ruler are much more than the age old trick of creating a pencil helicopter! Teaching how to use a ruler and then offering objects to measure are instrumental (some pun intended!!) to the conceptual understanding of measurement. There are 16 tiny little marks in between the inches marks. Pointing this out to a 10 year old can be a little tricky because "they already know that!". Putting it to practical use is a different idea all together.
Measuring to the nearest inch, nearest half inch, nearest quarter inch, and the nearest eighth inch is very enlightening. Using objects that kids love like race cars, stuffed animals, books, stick of gum, etc, can make the measuring more intriguing.
Offering support and feedback is crucial to the understanding of measurement. Also asking questions like how many sixteenths are between the 1 inch and the 2 inch mark on the ruler? How many quarter inch marks are there between the 2 inch mark and the 3 inch mark? And even relating to simplified fractions for example: What mark on the ruler is the same as 8/16?
Kids know it looks cool to spin a ruler around on the point of a pencil, but when they feel cool because they understand, this is what creates the makings of a life long learner!