Using a Ruler
Teacher Guidelines ▶ pages 1 – 2
Instructional Pages ▶ pages 3 – 4
Activity Page ▶ pages 5 - 6
Practice Page ▶ page 7
Grade Level: 1-2 Homework Page
Answer Key
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page 8
page 9 - 10
Classroom Procedure: Approximate Grade Level: 1–2
1. Display several objects that have length, width, and/or height. Objectives:
Ask students what the items have in common with each other. The students will be able to compare
2. Allow for responses and discussion. Give hints to the class lengths and use a ruler to measure to
about the different sizes, and lead the discussion to the the nearest one inch, and explain how
items that can be measured using a ruler, which you will to use a ruler.
then display to the class. Common Core State Standards:
3. Distribute Using a Ruler content pages. Read and review [Link].A.2
the information with the students. At the end of the content, [Link]. A.1
ask: Can you guess how tall you are in feet and inches? [Link].A.2
Pair students and allow them to measure each other in
inches and feet. Use the additional resources to enhance Class Sessions (45 minutes):
understanding. 1 – 2 class sessions
4. Distribute Activity pages. Read and review the instructions. Teaching Materials/Worksheets:
Distribute a ruler to each student. Students will measure
the items on the page and then draw lines with unknown Using a Ruler content pages (2), Activity
measurements on the second page. pages (2), Practice page, Homework page
5. The unknown measurements will then be exchanged with Student Supplies:
another student to measure. They will measure them and
ruler, handouts
then return the page to the original owner to be checked.
Prepare Ahead of Time:
6. Distribute Practice page. Check and review the students’
responses. Items to display for the opening of the
lesson. Copy handouts.
7. Distribute the Homework page. The next day, allow the
students to share the different sizes of things in each given Options for Lesson:
room, and the sizes of the rooms. The answers will vary.
Students may work in pairs for the
8. In closing, introduce miles as a measurement by asking: activity. You may choose to introduce half
How would you measure the distance from your home to inches based on the level of your class.
another state or town? Distribute items from the classroom and
allow students to measure their widths
9. Allow for responses and discussion. Introduce the term
and lengths, or height. Take the class
“miles” as another unit of measurement for long distances.
outdoors to measure things in nature
10. Ask students if they can guess how many feet are in one mile. such as blades of grass, a small tree,
height of flowers, etc. Depending on
11. Allow for responses and discussion. (5,280) the level of your students, you may wish
to introduce yards as a measurement.
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Teacher Notes
The lesson teaches the students the basic use of a ruler in whole inches only. You may show half-inches,
but the lesson is primarily for a first-time user of a ruler. It is important for students to understand that 12
inches equal one foot and that measurements can result in things being both x-number of feet and x-number
of inches in length or height.
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Additional Resources:
CONTENT:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] (Interactive)
WORKSHEETS:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
VIDEOS:
[Link] (6 min)
[Link] (2 min)
[Link] (2 min)
[Link] (5 min)
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Using a Ruler
What is that stick with numbers on it? It is a ruler. A ruler
is a measuring tool used to discover the length of an item.
When someone asks: How long is that pencil? You can use
a ruler to measure it.
First, almost everything has length and can be measured. A
piece of paper, book, your fingers and feet, or the room can
be measured because they all have size. Using a ruler helps
you learn the sizes of things.
Notice the two pencils. It is easy to see the first pencil
is smaller than the second pencil.
When comparing sizes of people, you can always say one is shorter or taller. The girl in
the picture is taller than the boy. However, most of the time you need to know how big,
how long, or how wide something is. You may need to learn its length, width, or height.
How long an object is, equals LENGTH.
How wide an object
is, equals WIDTH.
How tall an object is,
equals HEIGHT.
Rulers and other measuring tools are used to learn the length, width, or height of an object. The numbers
on a ruler are equal to inches. Most rulers are 12 inches long which is equal to one foot. Now that does
not mean it is equal to the size of your foot or a friend’s foot.
Inch and foot are the units used for measuring length. In the United States, everyone uses
inches and feet (the plural of foot) to measure things. If someone tells you they have a phone
that is 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, you know the exact size of their phone. You may
want to buy them a cover for it. Now you know the size of cover to buy.
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Here is a 6-inch ruler. We can now measure the pencils too. What are their lengths? The long pencil is 3
inches. The short pencil is 2 inches.
Place the zero end of the ruler at the
end of the object you will be measuring.
Why is it important to measure things? There are many reasons to
know the sizes of things. When you need shoes you need to know
the size of your feet so you can have shoes that are not too big or
too small.
Your bed has sheets and blankets that are just the right size. Your
home was measured before it was built so everything would fit together
correctly.
Remember, 12 inches are equal to one foot. Each time something
measures 12 inches it is equal to one foot, another 12 inches and
you add another foot.
Practice measuring things with a ruler, tape measure, or another tool
that measures length, and you will become an expert at determining
the sizes of things.
Can you guess how tall you are in feet and inches?
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Activity Name __________________________ Date _________
Instructions
1. Measure each of the lines and shapes on the page.
2. Write in the number of inches using the space provided.
3. On the second page draw lines and 3 other shapes for another student to measure. You will then
exchange it with that student.
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Activity Name __________________________ Date _________
Draw 5 different sizes of lines and 3 shapes for another student to measure
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Shape 1 Shape 2 Shape 3
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Practice Name __________________________ Date _________
Match the definition with the correct choice
1 Word that tells how wide something is. A feet
2 What you do to determine the size of something. B foot
3 12 inches equals one of these. C height
4 Tool 12 inches long that is used for measuring. D inches
5 Word that tells how long something is. E length
6 Inches and feet are examples of this term. F measure
7 This word is used for the tallness of a person. G ruler
8 Twelve of these will equal one foot. H tape measure
9 A tool used to measure larger items and objects. I units
10 The plural word for foot, more than one. J width
Use the word bank to fill in the blanks
feet height length ruler
foot inches measures width
The length of your fingers would be measured in _______________. The height of a giraffe would be
measured in _______________ and inches. To measure the length of a pencil, you would most likely use a
_______________. When you tell someone how tall you are, you are telling them your _______________. The
two measurements used to find the size of a room is its _______________ and _______________. Adam’s
bedroom width _______________ 12 feet and its length is 15 feet. One foot plus one _______________
equals two feet.
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Homework Name __________________________ Date _________
Follow the instructions and measure objects in your home
Measure 3 items from the kitchen
ITEM: ITEM: ITEM:
Length Length Length
Width Width Width
Measure 3 items from the bedroom
ITEM: ITEM: ITEM:
Length Length Length
Width Width Width
Measure 3 items from the livingroom
ITEM: ITEM: ITEM:
Length Length Length
Width Width Width
Measure the size of each room:
Bedroom Kitchen Bathroom
Length Length Length
Width Width Width
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Activity Answer Key (may vary) Date _________
Name __________________________
Instructions
1. Measure each of the lines and shapes on the page.
2. Write in the number of inches using the space provided.
3. On the second page draw lines and 3 other shapes for another student to measure. You will then
exchange it with that student.
2 4
1 3
3
1
4
3 5
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Practice Answer Key
Name __________________________ Date _________
Match the definition with the correct choice
J 1 Word that tells how wide something is. A feet
F 2 What you do to determine the size of something. B foot
B 3 12 inches equals one of these. C height
G 4 Tool 12 inches long that is used for measuring. D inches
E 5 Word that tells how long something is. E length
I 6 Inches and feet are examples of this term. F measure
C 7 This word is used for the tallness of a person. G ruler
D 8 Twelve of these will equal one foot. H tape measure
H 9 A tool used to measure larger items and objects. I units
A 10 The plural word for foot, more than one. J width
Use the word bank to fill in the blanks
feet height length ruler
foot inches measures width
The length of your fingers would be measured in inches. The height of a giraffe would be measured in feet
and inches. To measure the length of a pencil, you would most likely use a ruler. When you tell someone
how tall you are, you are telling them your height. The two measurements used to find the size of a room is
its width and length. Adam’s bedroom width measures 12 feet and its length is 15 feet. One foot plus one
foot equals two feet.
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