Measurement Systems / ​Andrea Adams 

Class: Science (7th/8th Grade)  Unit: Nature of Science 

LESSON TOPIC:  Standards of Measurement in Science ​(50 Minutes)

AIM:  By participating in a creative activity that requires students to develop their own system of
measurement, students will gain a familiarity with using measurement systems and be able
to explain the importance of an international system of measurements shared among
scientists.

OBJECTIVES:  Lesson Objective

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain the importance of aligned and
accurate methods of measurements in scientific research by participating in an online
discussion.

STANDARDS:  Next Generation Science Standards

MS-ETS1-1.​ Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision
to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and
potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

ACT College & Career Readiness Standards

SIN 202.​ Understand the tools and functions of tools used in a simple scientific experiment.

International Standards for Technology Education

Empowered Learner. ​Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing,
achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning
sciences.
● 1c.​ Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their
practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

Digital Citizen.​ Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living,
learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways
that are safe, legal and ethical.
● 2b​. Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using
technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

MATERIALS &  Technology & Applications

TECHNOLOGY:  ● A minimum of one chromebook per science team (4-5 students)
● Google Classroom
● Google Forms
● Google Slides
● Yo, Teach! (yoteachapp.com)

Instructional Materials
Markers, tape, miscellaneous items (8-10 recommended).
Creation Station - Challenge Instructions
Creation Station - Student Handout

Curriculum
Curriculum provided by ​Nitty Gritty Science​.
 Measurement Systems / ​Andrea Adams 
Class: Science (7th/8th Grade)  Unit: Nature of Science 
DO-NOW:  Formative Assessment via Google Form
(5 Minutes)  ● Why do scientists use a shared system of measurement?
● Identify and describe the five major quantities that scientists measure. Design your
own mnemonic device to remember these five quantities.
● Design an experiment question and hypothesis that may involve measuring density.

Materials Needed
● Chromebooks
● Google Form via Google Classroom.
● The content slideshow and guided notes from previous lessons are posted to
Google Classroom. Students may use these items to support their responses.

MINI-LESSON,  Prior Knowledge

TEACHER-LED:  In previous lessons, students learn about the International System of Units (SI), SI Base
(5 Minutes)  Units, Common SI Prefixes, and five important quantities that are commonly measured in
scientific research (length, volume, mass, density, time).

Creation Station Instruction Review

● Students access Google Classroom and pull up the ​Creation Station: Develop a
Measurement System​ PDF that is posted under the current unit’s handout section.
With the PDF visible, the instructor reviews the directions with the whole group.
● All science teams (4-5 students each) work together to solve a challenge by creating
a design that meets a specific need. Each design will be tested by other science
teams and feedback is provided.
● The challenge is for all science teams to devise and test a measurement system for
length using creative items.
● Science teams have 2 minutes to review the details of the PDF and ask questions
prior to the start of the challenge.

Materials Needed
● Chromebooks
● PDF uploaded to the Nature of Science section of Google Classroom.

MAIN ACTIVITY,  Designing

STUDENT-LED:  Science teams have 20 minutes to agree upon what their new and innovative unit of
(30 Minutes)  measure will be. They may pull an item from the random assortment of objects provided by
the instructor, or identify a different item to use. This unit of measurement must be able to
measure various lengths around the classroom (book, eraser, room, and an object of the
team’s choice).

The unit of measure must have a name, abbreviation and consideration of a smaller scale of
the unit. Science teams must complete a data table using the unit in order to provide a
reference. Science teams must describe exactly how to measure using their new standard of
measurement on an index card.

Testing
 Measurement Systems / ​Andrea Adams 
Class: Science (7th/8th Grade)  Unit: Nature of Science 
Science teams must swap directions (written on an index card) on how to use their unit of
measure with another team. Each team uses the other’s units of measure to see if they are
able to come up with similar data. This should take approximately 20 minutes.

Student Handout
As teams are completing their work, each individual student has a handout that collects
information about their unit of measure, the example data table, and information from
their team swap.

Materials Needed
● Random assortment of items collected for students to choose from.
● Markers.
● Tape.
● Index cards (one side - directions, opposite side - a data table).
● PDF uploaded to the Nature of Science section of Google Classroom.

CLOSING:  Reflection
(10 Minutes)  At the end of the student handout, students respond to the reflection question, “When
comparing your results with the other group, were they the same or different? Explain.”

Group Discussion
This can be completed in class or as a homework assignment.

Students log-in to YoTeach and participate in an online discussion regarding the importance
of accurate and aligned scientific measurements. The instructor posts the following
questions and students choose one question to respond to:
1. Why is it important for scientists to use accurate scientific measurements?
2. Why is it important that there is a system that is aligned across the world?
3. What could be a negative impact of inaccurate measurements?

Students MUST reply to at least one other student (that responded to a different question)
and offer one of the following:
1. An appreciation - “I agree! I like how you…”
2. An ah-hah - “I never thought about it like that…”
3. A question - “What else do you think about… “

ASSESSMENT:  Students are assessed via their two discussion posts.

Criteria for success:

1. A thoughtful and informed response to one question that demonstrates the
understanding of accurate and aligned measurements in scientific research.
2. A thoughtful and informed reply to another student that demonstrates
understanding, as well as digital citizenship.