The purpose of this activity is for students to develop an intuition of 1 meter as 100 times as long as 1 centimeter. Students build a 1-meter long strip out of centimeter grid paper. They use this tool to identify objects or distances that are about 1 meter long.

• “How did you organize and count the centimeter pieces?”
• “How can you make sure there are 100 centimeter pieces?”

• Invite groups to share their predictions and the results of their measurement.
• Select students to share their responses to the last problem. If time permits, allow students to measure the arm span or step length of a few students.
• “How many 1-centimeter grid squares did you put together to make 1 meter?”

In this activity, students analyze sample work, which shows converting meters to centimeters, to develop the understanding that a meter is “100 times as long” as a centimeter. They correct errors in reasoning, centering around place value (MP3).

• "How did you decide whether Priya's measurements in centimeters were correct or not?"
• "How could you use the strips we made to explain why this happens?"

• See the Lesson Synthesis.