Unit 5, Lesson 8
Metros y kilómetros
Grado 4
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
Previously, students learned that 1 meter is 100 times as long as 1 centimeter. They converted measurements in meters to measurements in centimeters. In this lesson, they extend their understanding of metric units of length to include kilometers.
Students develop a sense for 1,000 meters by reasoning multiplicatively about shorter measurements in meters. For example, they see that 1,000 meters is 20 times the length of a 50-meter pool, 10 times the length of a 100-meter track, and so on. In doing so, students develop an awareness of 1 kilometer as 1,000 times as long as 1 meter.
Students use tables and what they know about multiples of 1,000 to support their reasoning as they multiply whole numbers by 1,000 to convert kilometers to meters (MP7).
- Action and Expression
- MLR7
- Describe (orally) a kilometer as 1,000 times the length of a meter.
- Determine a measurement in meters that is equivalent to a measurement in kilometers.
- Exploremos medidas en metros y en kilómetros.
Required Materials
Activity 1
Required Preparation
None
Teacher Reflection Questions
What part of the lesson went really well in terms of helping students reason about the size of 1 kilometer and its relationship to 1 meter? What part of the task supported this reasoning?