Metric conversions

What is the metric system?(This is the 1st slide on the classroom presentation…)

The decimal measuring system based on the meter, liter, and gram as units of length, capacity, and

weight or mass

The metric system is in use by 95% of the world

The metric system is universally used in the sciences

The only country in the world that does not utilize the metric system is the United States

Metric system in the real world…

(2nd slide of the classroom presentation…)

There are three basic units of metric measure that the adult learner will

use in real-life situations:

meter (m) - length

gram (g) - mass or weight

liter (L) - volume

Real life context:

(3rd slide of the classroom presentation…)

Many disciplines use the metric system, such as pharmacology, chemistry, nursing and astronomy. For example, the average distance between the moon and the earth is 384,403 kilometers (238,857 miles). When nurses calculate how much an infant takes from a bottle, they do it in cubic centimeters. Thirty cc's equals about an ounce.

KILO1000Units

HECTO100

Units

DEKA10

UnitsDECI

0.1Unit

CENTI0.01Unit

MILLI0.001Unit

MetersLitersGrams

Ladder Method

How do you use the “ladder” method?

1st – Determine your starting point.

2nd – Count the “jumps” to your ending point.

3rd – Move the decimal the same number of jumps in the same direction.

4 km = _________ m

12

3

How many jumps does it take?

Starting Point Ending Point

4.1

__.2

__.3

__. = 4000 m

(4th slide of classroom presentation…)

How to remember…

(5th slide of classroom presentation…)

An easy way to remember the metric units of measure is to remember the sentence:

King Henry died ___ drinking chocolate milk! (Poor guy!!!)

kilo- (1000)hecto- (100) deka- (10)deci- (0.1)centi- (0.01)milli- (0.001)

Try these conversions using the ladder method.

1000 mg = _______ g 1 L = _______ mL 160 cm = _______ mm

14 km = _______ m 109 g = _______ kg 250 m = _______ km

Manipulative Activity

Compare using <, >, or =.

56 cm 6 m 7 g 698 mg

(6th slide of classroom presentation)

Write the correct abbreviation for each metric unit.

1) Kilogram _____ 4) Milliliter _____ 7) Kilometer _____

2) Meter _____ 5) Millimeter _____ 8) Centimeter _____

3) Gram _____ 6) Liter _____ 9) Milligram _____

Try these conversions, using the ladder method.

10) 2000 mg = _______ g 15) 5 L = _______ mL 20) 16 cm = _______ mm

11) 104 km = _______ m 16) 198 g = _______ kg 21) 2500 m = _______ km

12) 480 cm = _____ m 17) 75 mL = _____ L 22) 65 g = _____ mg

13) 5.6 kg = _____ g 18) 50 cm = _____ m 23) 6.3 cm = _____ mm

14) 8 mm = _____ cm 19) 5.6 m = _____ cm 24) 120 mg = _____ g

Independent Practice(7th slide of classroom presentation)

In class assessment…

After the students have completed the Independent Practice “Metric Conversions Worksheet ” the teacher will ask about the process by which they knew how to complete the worksheet. The teacher will use this group discussion as an assessment tool to assess each student’s understanding of metric conversion.

PRECISE OR ACCURATE????

WHAT’S WRONG??

Johnny wants to qualify for the next weight division in wrestling. He needs to gain 10 lbs in 3 months. He weighed himself at home and found that he had reached his goal.

When he went in to get officially weighed, he was 5 lbs underweight.

WHAT’S WRONG???

Johnny checked his home scale by getting on and off it several times.

It kept giving the same reading.

He was confused, then, why is his scale reading 5 lbs under the school scale??

Let’s practice what we’ve learned…

Compare using <, >, or =.

63 cm ___ 6 m 536 cm ___ 53.6 dm 5 g ___ 508 mg 1,500 mL ___1.5 L

43 mg ___ 5 g 3.6 m ___ 36 cm

(8th slide of classroom presentation)