Geometry, Measurement & Data

Measurement: Length, Mass, Time, and Money

Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3

✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to compare and order objects by length, mass, and duration.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to measure length using non-standard and standard units (centimetre, metre).
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to tell time to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour using analog and digital clocks.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify and count Canadian coins, and solve simple money problems.
✓By the end of this lesson students will be able to understand the purpose of different measurement tools.

Key concepts

Length

Length tells us how long or short something is, or how tall or short someone is. We can compare lengths directly (e.g., 'this pencil is longer than that eraser') or use tools. For young students, we start with non-standard units like paper clips or blocks, then move to standard units like the centimetre (cm) and metre (m). A ruler or measuring tape is used to measure length.

Mass

Mass tells us how heavy or light something is. We can compare the mass of two objects by holding them or using a balance scale (e.g., 'this apple is heavier than that feather'). We use non-standard units like marbles or blocks, and later learn about standard units like the gram (g) and kilogram (kg).

Time

Time helps us know when events happen and how long they last. We learn about the sequence of events, days of the week, months of the year, and how to tell time using analog (with hands) and digital clocks. We tell time to the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour.

Money

Money is what we use to buy things. In Canada, we have different coins and bills, each with a specific value. We learn to identify Canadian coins (nickel, dime, quarter, loonie, toonie) and count their total value to make purchases or count change.

Key facts to remember

1Length tells us how long or tall something is.
2Mass tells us how heavy or light something is.
3Time tells us when things happen and how long they take.
4Money is used to buy goods and services.
5A ruler or measuring tape helps us measure length.
6A balance scale helps us compare mass.
7A clock helps us tell time.
8Canadian coins include the nickel (5¢), dime (10¢), quarter (25¢), loonie ( $1), and toonie ($ 2).

Worked examples

Example 1

How many paper clips long is your pencil?

I1. Place the pencil flat on a table.

II2. Line up paper clips end-to-end along the pencil, with no gaps or overlaps.

III3. Count how many paper clips you used from one end of the pencil to the other.

Answer

My pencil is about 6 paper clips long.

This is an example of using a non-standard unit to measure length. The exact number of paper clips will vary depending on the pencil and paper clips used.

Example 2

What time does this analog clock show if the short hand is between the 3 and the 4, and the long hand is pointing to the 6?

I1. Look at the short hand (the hour hand). It has passed the 3 but has not reached the 4, so the hour is 3.

II2. Look at the long hand (the minute hand). It is pointing to the 6.

III3. When the minute hand points to the 6, it means 30 minutes past the hour, or 'half past' the hour.

IV4. Combine the hour and minutes.

Answer

The time is 3:30 or half past 3.

Remember the short hand tells the hour and the long hand tells the minutes. Each number on the clock face for minutes represents 5 minutes.

Example 3

You have 2 quarters, 3 dimes, and 1 nickel. How much money do you have in total?

I1. Identify the value of each coin: A quarter is 25¢. A dime is 10¢. A nickel is 5¢.

II2. Count the value of the quarters: 2 quarters = 25¢ + 25¢ = 50¢.

III3. Count the value of the dimes: 3 dimes = 10¢ + 10¢ + 10¢ = 30¢.

IV4. Count the value of the nickels: 1 nickel = 5¢.

V5. Add all the values together: 50¢ + 30¢ + 5¢ = 85¢.

Answer

You have 85¢.

It's often easiest to count coins by starting with the ones that have the highest value.

Common mistakes

✗Confusing the hour hand and minute hand on an analog clock, leading to incorrect time telling.
✗Not starting at the very beginning (zero mark) when using a ruler to measure length, which results in an inaccurate measurement.
✗Assuming a larger object always has more mass than a smaller object (e.g., a large balloon is lighter than a small rock).
✗Incorrectly identifying the value of different Canadian coins, especially dimes and nickels.
✗Forgetting to count all the coins or adding their values incorrectly when finding a total amount of money.

Exam tips

★Always read the question carefully to know what you need to measure (length, mass, time, or money) and what units to use.
★When measuring length, make sure your measuring tool is straight, starts at the beginning of the object, and has no gaps or overlaps if using non-standard units.
★Practice telling time on both analog and digital clocks every day to become confident.
★When counting money, start with the coins of highest value first (e.g., loonies, then quarters, then dimes, then nickels) to make counting easier and reduce errors.

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