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Metric Units of Measurement Conversions Guided Notes w/ Doodles | 5th Grade
$4.25
Overview
Ever wondered how to teach converting between metric units of measurement in an engaging way to your 5th-grade students? In this lesson plan, students will learn about metric unit conversions and their real-life applications. Through artistic, interactive guided notes, check for understanding, practice coloring by code, a maze worksheet, and problem sets, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of converting metric units of measurement.
The lesson ends with a real-life example that explores how metric unit conversions are used in everyday life scenarios. Students will read and write about real-life applications of this math skill, connecting their learning to the world around them.
- Standard: CCSS 5.MD.A.1
- Unit: 5th Grade → Unit 5: Measurement Units & Interpreting Data
- Grade: 5th Grade
Get the Lesson Materials
Metric Units of Measurement Conversions Guided Notes w/ Doodles | 5th Grade
$4.25
Learning Objectives
After this lesson, students will be able to:
Convert metric units of measurement using whole numbers and decimal solutions.
Identify various metric units of measurement, such as millimeters, centimeters, meters, grams, kilograms, and liters.
Apply the concept of metric units of measurement conversions to solve real-life problems involving measurements.
Prerequisites
Before this lesson, students should be familiar with:
Understanding of the metric system and basic metric units (grams, meters, liters)
Knowledge of the relationship between larger and smaller metric units within the same category (e.g., kilometers to meters, centimeters to millimeters)
Basic multiplication and division skills, including multiplying and dividing by powers of 10
Materials
Pencils
Colored pencils or markers
Metric Units of Measurement Conversions Guided Notes w/ Doodles
Key Vocabulary
Metric Units
Conversion
Whole Number
Decimal
Procedure
Introduction
As a hook, ask students why understanding metric units of measurement conversions is important in everyday life. Refer to the last page of the guided notes as well as the FAQs below for ideas.
Use the first page of the guided notes to introduce the concept of converting metric units of measurements. Go through how converting from larger to smaller units of measurements vs. converting from smaller to larger units of measurements. Walk through the key points such as identifying common metric units (centimeters, meters, kilometers, grams, kilograms, liters, milliliters etc.) and the relationships between them. Students will be filling out the guided notes as you teach.
Then, have students practice some of the conversions using the second page of the guided notes. Based on student responses, reteach concepts that students need extra help with regarding the initial introduction to metric units of measurements. If your class has a wide range of proficiency levels, you can pull out students for reteaching, and have more advanced students begin work on the practice exercises.
Practice
Have students practice converting metric units of measurement using the practice coloring worksheet provided in the resource, such as escaping the maze (pg. 3). Walk around the classroom to answer any questions students may have as they work on the practice worksheet.
Fast finishers can move on to the color by number activity (pg. 4) included in the resource for extra practice. You can also assign the maze activity as homework for students who complete the coloring worksheet early.
Real-Life Application
Using the last page of the guided notes, bring the class back together, and introduce the concept of how we use metric unit conversions in real life scenarios such as cooking, travel, or construction. Students can practice converting between different metric units of measurement like grams to kilograms for recipes, kilometers to meters for distance calculations, or milliliters to liters for liquid volume measurements.
Refer to the FAQ for more ideas on how to teach real-life applications of metric unit conversions!
Extensions
Additional Self-Checking Digital Practice
If you’re looking for digital practice for converting between metric units of measurement, try my Pixel Art activities in Google Sheets. Every answer is automatically checked, and correct answers unlock parts of a mystery picture. It’s incredibly fun, and a powerful tool for differentiation.
Here’s an activity to explore:
FAQs
The basic metric units of measurement include:
Meter (m): for length
Gram (g): for mass
Liter (L): for volume
To convert meters to centimeters:
Multiply the number of meters by 100.
This will give you the equivalent length in centimeters.
Milliliters (mL) and liters (L) are related as follows:
1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (mL)
To convert liters to milliliters, multiply by 1000.
To convert milliliters to liters, divide by 1000.
To convert kilograms to grams:
Multiply the number of kilograms by 1000.
This will give you the equivalent mass in grams.
The difference between centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm) is:
1 centimeter (cm) = 10 millimeters (mm)
When converting between metric units using decimals:
Write down the given value with its unit.
Multiply or divide by a power of 10 to adjust the decimal point to the desired unit.
Add zeroes to shift the decimal point as needed.
Make sure to keep track of the units during the conversion process.
When converting liters to milliliters in a word problem:
Identify the given quantity in liters.
Multiply the number of liters by 1000 to find the equivalent amount in milliliters.
Check your units to ensure the conversion is correct.
Understanding metric units of measurement conversions is important because:
It allows for consistency and accuracy in calculations.
It enables seamless communication of measurements across different contexts.
It is essential for various scientific, engineering, and everyday applications.