Choosing appropriate customary units means matching the attribute and approximate magnitude of a quantity to units such as inches, feet, yards, miles; ounces, pounds, and tons; or cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. The understanding includes using familiar benchmarks, recognizing that equivalent units differ in size and precision, and selecting a sensible unit before measuring or estimating; specialized units, very large or very small quantities, and advanced dimensional analysis are not included.
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Detailed Explanation: Choose appropriate customary units
To choose an appropriate customary unit:
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Identify what is being measured.
- Length uses inches, feet, yards, or miles.
- Weight uses ounces, pounds, or tons.
- Capacity uses cups, pints, quarts, or gallons.
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Think about the quantity’s size. Use a familiar benchmark:
- A paper clip is about inch long.
- A door is about feet tall.
- A short car trip might be several miles.
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Choose a unit that gives a sensible number. Avoid units that are much too large or much too small.
Example:
Which unit is most appropriate for measuring the height of a classroom door: inches, feet, yards, or miles?
- The attribute is length, so we need a length unit.
- A door is much taller than inch, so inches would require a very large number.
- A door is about feet tall, so feet match the size well.
- A yard is feet, so the door is a little more than yards tall. Yards could work, but feet are more commonly used for a door’s height.
- Miles are used for very long distances, so miles are far too large.
Therefore, the best unit is feet.
Learn by doing: Choose appropriate customary units
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Practice:
Measurement Reasonable Unit - Length (customary)
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Download/Modify Free Grade 6 'Choose appropriate customary units' Worksheet
Print this free 'Choose appropriate customary units' worksheet to practice this skill away from the computer. Click 'Modify' to easily customize this worksheet to your exact needs.
This Worksheet Includes:
- Measurement Reasonable Unit - Length (customary)
- Measurement Reasonable Unit - Volume (customary)
- Measurement Reasonable Unit - Mass (customary)
- Measurement Reasonable Value - Length (customary)
- Measurement Reasonable Value - Volume (customary)
- Measurement - Estimate Length - Choose Unit (Customary)
- Measurement - Estimate Height - Choose Unit (Customary)
- Measurement Less or More - Mass (customary)
Units Teaching This Skill
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