Investigations

Materials:

  • copy of the broken ruler (if you don’t have access to a printer you can make your own copy)
  • paper
  • pencil

Ruler starting at 6cm and ending with 12cm.

Have your child cut out the broken ruler.

Ask your child to use the ‘broken ruler’ to measure:

  • The length of something shorter than the ruler
  • The length of something longer than the ruler
  • The perimeter (distance around an object) of something rectangular (e.g., book, table, box)
  • Can you find something that is 10 centimetres long?

Helpful Hints and Possible Questions:

If it’s hard to measure starting with 6 how could you make it easier?
How long is the broken ruler in centimetres?
(add numbers below the existing numbers starting with 0 under the 6)

When you are measuring should you start at the edge of the ruler or at the line above the 6? Why?

How can you accurately measure something that is longer than the ruler?