In
this lesson, students use historical nonstandard units (digits, hand,
cubit, yard, foot, pace, fathom) to estimate the lengths of common
objects and then measure using modern standard units. They will
discover the usefulness of standardized measurement units and tools.
Many students have not had enough experiences with nonstandard units
and therefore have an incomplete understanding of measurement. This
lesson provides more of these experiences as well as a bridge into
familiar standard units of measuring length. Interested teachers could
also connect this lesson to information about measurement in many
ancient cultures.
