Dear Parents/Guardians,

As a part of my internship requirement for Math, I am required to teach a unit. The unit I will be
teaching is Unit 3: Linear Measures and Area. In Unit 3, your child will begin to develop
mastery in measurement by measuring lengths with standard units, which will be both the U.S.
customary system and the metric system. The U.S. customary system includes units of length
by inch, foot, and yard. The metric system includes units of length by meter, centimeter, and
millimeter.

During this unit, students will practice using rulers, measuring to the nearest inch, inch,
inch, and centimeter. They will practice measuring parts of their bodies, such as their feet,
hands, wrists, necks, and heights. Using everyday objects, they will have to estimate
measurements of other objects. For example, a piece of paper that is about 1 foot long can help
students estimate the length of Mrs. Klaukas desk.

We will also be covering the concept of perimeter during the unit. They will be building
different polygons, or 2-dimensional figures with connected sides, using straws and twist-ties.
After making various polygons, students will then have to find the perimeter of those polygons.

Students will also determine the meaning of area. In order to find area of shapes, I will use a
variety of techniques in order to differentiate lessons based on your childs needs. One way to
do this is with grid paper. By counting the squares in the polygon, students will be able to figure
out the area. I will also be using a technique called tiling. This is when students place small
cubes inside a rectangle. They find the area by counting the squares.

Vocabulary:
Unit: An agreed-upon unit of measure, for example foot, pound, gallon, meter, kilogram, liter.

Length: The distance between two points.

U.S. Customary System: The measurement system used in the United States. For example,
inches, feet, yards, and miles are used to measure length.

Metric System of Measurement: A measurement system based on the base-ten numeration
system. It is used in most countries around the world. For example, millimeters, centimeters,
meters, and kilometers are used to measure length.

Benchmark: A well-known count or measure that can be used to check whether other counts,
measures, or estimates make sense. For examples, a benchmark for land area is that a football
field is about one acre. A benchmark for length is that the width of a mans thumb is about one
inch. Benchmarks are also called personal-measurement references.

Perimeter: The distance around the boundary of a 2-dimensional shape. The perimeter of a
circle is called its circumference. A formula for the perimeter P of a rectangle with length l and
width w is P = 2 x (l + w).

Polygon: A 2-dimensional figure formed by 3 or more line segments (sides) that meet only at
their endpoints (vertices) to make a closed path. The line segments of a polygon may not cross.





Tiling: The covering of a surface with shapes so that there are no gaps or overlays.

Area: The amount of surface inside a 2-dimensional figure. Area is measured in square units,
such as square inches or square centimeters.

Square Unit: A unit used to measure area; a square that measures 1 inch, 1 centimeter, 1 yard,
or 1 other standard measure of length on each side.







1 square centimeter 1 square inch


At-Home Activities
I would love it if you would work with your child at home on any measurement activities. Here
are a few things you can do to help with your childs learning success:

1. Practice finding perimeters and area of objects in your home.
2. Practice measuring and estimating lengths of objects in your home.
3. Ensure that homework is being completed.
4. Play Addition Top-It (Each player turns over two cards and calls out their sum. The
player with the higher sum then takes all the cards from that round).
5. Play Subtraction Top-It (Each player turns over two cards and calls out their difference.
The player with the larger difference then takes all the cards from that round).

I really look forward to teaching your child. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Sincerely,



Lauren Bachi
bachilau@msu.edu