Grade 2 Math Lesson Plan: Measuring Length — 3 Lessons with Timings

Learning Objectives

• Compare and order lengths using longer, shorter, taller, longest and shortest, lining up the ends.
• Measure with cubes and paper clips with no gaps or overlaps.
• Measure and draw lengths in centimetres with a ruler, starting at 0.
• Find a length that does not start at 0 by counting the spaces or end − start.
• Choose cm or m, know that 1 m = 100 cm and make sensible estimates.
• Find how much longer one length is than another.
• Solve one-step add and take-away length problems and write the unit.

Lesson Procedure

• Teach the three lessons in order. Each lesson table shows the stage, minutes, what the teacher does, what students do and the matching PowerPoint slides. Lesson 1: longer and shorter, line up the ends, measuring with cubes and paper clips, why we use cm. Lesson 2: using a ruler from 0, lengths that do not start at 0, drawing lines and estimating. Lesson 3: 1 m = 100 cm, cm or m?, estimates, how much longer? and length problems. Use the optional fourth lesson for review and the test. Print the materials on the prep checklist the day before.

Assessment

Use the exit tickets after each lesson, whiteboard answers during lessons, and the Quick Quiz or Unit Test after the unit.

Differentiation

Support: Use the paper rulers (whole centimetres only) and colour the 0. Let children lay cubes along the ruler to see each centimetre, and count the jumps with a finger when an object does not start at 0. Give sentence frames ("It is ___ cm long." "The ___ is longer than the ___." "We use cm / m."). Pair a child who is new to English with a partner who models the sentences.
Extension: Measure lengths up to 30 cm with a longer ruler, order 5 classroom objects by length, solve two-step problems, or measure the classroom in metres with a 1 m string. Fast finishers can play Measure Master (Length Problems mode) or do the My Body measuring task.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Line-up challenge: two children compare their pencils on the table edge and say which is longer.
• Measure Hunt: pairs estimate, then measure classroom things.
• Metre check: children stand next to a 1 m string — taller or shorter than 1 m?

Teacher Tips

The two biggest ruler mistakes are starting at the edge of the ruler (or at 1) instead of 0, and writing the end number when the object does not start at 0. Before the first ruler lesson, let every child find the 0 on their own ruler and mark it with a dot of colour, and use the paper rulers in Teacher Resources for the first practice — they start exactly at 0 and show only whole centimetres. For "not at 0", have children put a finger on the start and count the jumps aloud: "1, 2, 3 … 6 — 6 cm." Ask "7 what?" every time a child forgets the unit. Print the worksheet at 100% (actual size) so the ribbons in Part E measure correctly with a real ruler.

What's Included

• Lesson plan, 2 pages: objectives, 3 timed lessons, optional review and test lesson, differentiation, assessment, board plan, prep checklist and 5-minute daily routine (DOCX + PDF)

Additional Files

• Grade 2 Math Lesson Plan: Measuring Length — 3 Lessons with Timings (DOCX)

Teacher Reviews