4. as each team member completes the event, he/she in life is not the tri umph but the strug gle....

TopicEstimation, measurement

Key QuestionHow closely can you match your estimate and your actual measurement in metric units?

Learning GoalStudents will become familiar with metric units by esti-mating and measuring in a “Metric Olympic” setting.

Guiding DocumentNCTM Standards 2000*• Understand the need for measuring with standard

units and become familiar with standard units in the customary and metric systems

• Select and use benchmarks to estimate measurements • Select and apply appropriate standard units and

tools to measure length, area, volume, weight, time, temperature, and the size of angles

• Represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs

MathMeasurement metric unitsEstimation

Integrated ProcessesObservingPredictingCollecting and recording dataComparing and contrasting

MaterialsTwo or three paper platesThree to fi ve drinking strawsTwo bags of marblesThree metric tape measuresCotton ballsLarge spongeLarge container for waterLiter measuring setCentimeter graph paperBalance MassesStudent sheets

Background Information Estimation and measurement are critical skills that students will use in a wide variety of settings throughout their education and lives. This activity uses an Olympic format to develop these skills in the context of the metric system. As students participate in the various events, they will measure distance in centimeters, mass in grams, volume in milliliters, and area in square centimeters. Throughout the activity, they will compete against other students, not based on their performance in the individual events, but based on their accuracy at predicting their own performance. This eliminates any advantage that certain students might have over others in situations where size and strength affect performance.

Management1. Divide the class into six groups.2. Each group should have one student who is assigned

to be the captain. The captain is responsible for read-ing the instructions to the team and checking to be sure that every member has made his/her estimate before competing in each event.

3. This activity is designed to be set up in six stations through which groups will rotate. Each station needs a station card with complete instructions and corre-sponding materials available.

4. Set up a rotation so that students know to which station to go next. Have groups stay at their station until you announce that it is time to rotate.

5. Establish fair ground rules for the events ahead of time that you decide on and discuss as a class.

6. Be consistent in guiding rules that determine fair-ness in measurement.

7. For consistency, have students measure to the nearest whole unit.

8. Informational sheets on the history of the Olympic games have been included. These can be discussed as an introduction or conclusion to this activity if desired.

Procedure1. Have students get into their groups and assign each

group to a station.2. Choose one student on each team to be the captain

and explain the responsibilities of the position.3. Hand out the student sheets and have groups begin

their events. It is important that before students actually measure their results, each student makes and records his/her estimate on his/her student score sheet. Remind captains to check that all members on the team have recorded this informa-tion before beginning each event.

1 © 2007 AIMS Education Foundation

4. As each team member completes the event, he/she should measure and record the actual length, mass, volume, or area on his/her student sheet.

5. When each group has competed in all six events, have students determine the difference between their actual and predicted measurements for the various events.

6. If desired, copy the forms included to present awards to the winners of each event.

Connecting Learning1. How close was your fi rst estimate to your actual

performance? 2. Were you able to get more accurate in subsequent

events? Why or why not?3. Which event did you do the best in? …the worst in?

Why do you think this is?4. What rules do you think need to be established? Why?5. Would you like to alter the materials at any station?

If so, what changes would you make and why?6. Did anyone in your group have problems measuring?

Explain.7. What are you wondering now?

Extensions1. Following are other investigations students can do

that require estimation and measurement:a. How many liters of water will fi ll your bathtub?

Draw a cartoon and record your data.b. Select fi ve or more containers of assorted sizes

and shapes. Arrange them in order from least to greatest and predict their volume. Make a diagram and table of your results.

c. Select fi ve or more objects of various sizes and shapes. Arrange them from lightest to heaviest and estimate their masses. Organize and illus-trate your data.

* Reprinted with permission from Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, 2000 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. All rights reserved.


Key QuestionHow closely can you match your estimate and your actual measurement in metric units?

Learning Goal

will become familiar with metric units by estimating and measuring in a “Metric Olympic” setting.


for the glory of the sport and the honor of our country.

We swear that we will take part in these Olympic

Games in the true spirit of sportsmanship and that we

will respect and abide by the rules which govern them

Credit for the revival of the Olym pic Games goes to Pierre de Coubertin, a French baron who felt strongly about bringing to geth er rep re sen ta tives from many na tions for the pur pose of peace ful com pe ti tion. He posed these words that now make up the Olym pic creed: “The most im por tant thing in the Olym pic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most im por tant thing in life is not the tri umph but the strug gle. The es sen tial thing is not to have con quered but to have fought well.” With respect and hon or to Greece, the land of the orig i nal games, the fi rst mod ern games were held in Ath ens in 1896 where nine coun tries came to geth er.

Traditionally the accepted date of the fi rst Olym pi ad is 776 BC, but there is rea son able certainty that they were held con sid er ably earlier than that. These fes tiv i ties were held in Olym pia, Greece where a sta di um and a tem ple to Zeus were built. On se lect ed oc ca sions “a day of games” was held to honor a god or a dead hero. Only males were al lowed to par tic i pate and events orig i nal ly in clud ed a foot race (also called the stadium race), a long distance foot race, wres tling, and the pen tath lon which was a com bi na tion of fi ve events. The ancient games ceased to take place after 392 AD be cause they were viewed by some as a pagan ritual.

Dif fer ent coun tries host summer and winter events for our present day Olym pic Games. The Olympics are on a four year rotation with the sum mer event tak ing place two years af ter the last winter event. Re cent Sum mer Olym pic Games host ed over 160 countries com pet ing in over 30 Olym pic sports. Win ners in each event earn gold, silver, and bronze med als for their per for manc es. Each athlete makes this pledge:


Five interlocking rings represent the fi ve major con ti nents of the world. Their colors in order from left to right are: blue, yel low, black, green, and red. These colors are special be cause at least one of them appears in the fl ag of every nation of the world. These col or ful rings are joined to geth er to remind us of the sport ing friendship that unites us all.

The Olympic Flame is lighted by the Olym pic torch during the opening cer e mo nies. The fl ame is a sym bol of peace and is lit fi rst in the temple of Zeus in Olym pia. It is then carried hand to hand by thousands of re lay runners from many coun tries to the sta di um of the city hosting the games. It is kept lighted even if it has to be carried by plane or ship. To carry the torch into the stadium is a great hon or to the carrier.

This Latin phrase means swifter, higher, stron ger. These words are used to build healthy at ti tudes and win ning spirits in prep a ra tion for com pe ti tion.


Paper Plate Discus1. Place feet on starting line. Throw

the “discus.” (one throw only)

2. Estimate the distance (in cm) that you threw the “discus.” Record.

3. Measure distance from starting line to the position of the paper plate. Record.

Drinking Straw Javelin1. Place feet on starting line. Throw “javelin.”

(one throw only)

2. Estimate the distance (in cm) that you threw the “javelin.” Record.

3. Measure distance from starting line to the position of the “javelin.” Record.


Cotton Ball Shot Put1. Place feet on starting line. Throw the “cotton ball shot.”

(one throw only)

2. Estimate the distance (in cm) that you put the “shot.” Record.

3. Measure distance from starting line to the position of the cotton ball. Record.

Right-HandedMarble Grab

1. With the right hand only, grab a fi stful of marbles from the container. Place marbles on a balance.

2. Estimate (in grams) the mass of marbles you grabbed in your right hand. Record.

3. Measure the mass of the marbles. Record.


Left-Handed Sponge Squeeze

Big Foot Contest1. Remove one shoe. Trace around

your foot on square centimeter grid paper.

2. Estimate in square centimeters the area of your footprint. Record.

3. Figure the area of your footprint. Record.

1. Have a sponge soaking in large bucket of water.

2. Squeeze sponge into separate container. (one squeeze only)

3. Estimate the amount of water (in mL) you squeezed out of the sponge. Record.

4. Measure water squeezed. Record.


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1. How close was your fi rst estimate to your actual performance?

Connecting Learning

2. Were you able to get more accurate in subsequent events? Why or why not?

3. Which event did you do the best in? …the worst in? Why do you think this is?

4. What rules do you think need to be established? Why?

5. Would you like to alter the materials at any station? If so, what changes would you make and why?

6. Did anyone in your group have problems measuring? Explain.

7. What are you wondering now?


4. as each team member completes the event, he/she in life is not the tri umph but the strug gle....

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