Measurement Conversion Tables

Description

In Topic A, students build on the work they did in Module 2 with measurement conversions. Working heavily in customary units, students use two-column conversion tables (4.MD.1) to practice conversion rates. For example, following a discovery activity where students learn that 16 ounces make 1 pound, students generate a two-column conversion table listing the number of ounces in 1 to 10 pounds. Tables for other measurement units are then generated in a similar fashion. Students then reason about why they do not need to complete the tables beyond 10 of the larger units. As the topic progresses, students solve multiplicative comparison word problems. They are then challenged to create and solve their own word problems and to critique the reasoning of their peers (4.OA.1, 4.OA.2). By the end of Topic A, students have started to internalize the conversion rates through fluency exercises and continued practice.