Unit 5, Lesson 11
Pounds and Ounces
Grade 4
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
In previous lessons, students worked with metric units for length, weight, and capacity. Students may have encountered pounds and ounces in various contexts in or outside the classroom. Students may know that the pound is the larger of the two units. This lesson helps students develop a sense of 1 pound as 16 times as heavy as 1 ounce, and use this insight to convert pounds to ounces.
- Representation
- MLR8
- Describe (orally and in writing) a pound as 16 times as heavy as an ounce.
- Determine a measurement in ounces that is equivalent to a measurement in pounds.
- Let’s explore measurements in pounds and ounces.
Required Preparation
- Create a set of cards from the blackline master for each group of 4 students.
- If possible, gather examples of packaged food items—one that is labeled “1 ounce” and another labeled “1 pound.”
Teacher Reflection Questions
In an earlier section, students learned to represent and compare pairs of quantities in terms of multiplication. In what ways did you see their current knowledge of multiplicative comparison help or hinder them in performing unit conversions?