Metric System Conversion Activities and Worksheets for Middle School Science

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This interactive unit includes 3 lessons and 3 extension activities. In lesson 1, students explore the need for standardized units of measurement and the benefit of the metric system. Students will engage in a pre-lesson activity measuring classroom items in the unit of straw to stimulate a discussion about measurement. In the second lesson, students explore the tools of the metric system, learning to correctly use scales, graduated cylinders, and even rulers. Finally, in the third lesson students concentrate on the idea of a base-ten units, using decimal movement and place value to change the value of a number. Students will make their own metric conversion card, allowing a kinesthetic approach to converting measurements.

The extension activities in the unit give students the opportunity to research the history of the metric system, explore more concretely the concept of place value and decimal movement, and even create a batch of playdough using metric measurements.

The unit includes:

*detailed instructions for all hands-on activities

*An online research project with note-taking guide

*Mini-project instructions for research (includes student choice for projects)

*Thorough project rubric

*detailed, step-by-step instructions for creating metric conversion tool, a hands-on method for making metric conversions

*step-by-step instructions to make a batch of no-cook playdough measuring in metrics

*student worksheets

*Answer keys

Students will…

*gain a basic understanding of how to read units

*get tips on how to successfully use metric tools

* be able to explain what tools to use in a given situation

*have the opportunity to use tools accurately during a mini-lab

*gain practice moving decimal points to increase or decrease a number’s value by the power of ten

This is an excellent lesson for students who need a more tactile, hands-on approach to their learning.

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