October 19th, 2021

Height Comparison and Measurement

We have observed a recent interest in comparing our heights. Many children have attempted to compare their height with friends by standing next to each other to "see" who appears taller. Some of our hypotheses for why our heights differ involve our age. Does age correlate with height?

But I'm still three. - Daniel
I'm three, too. - Luke
You are not three. Remember you said that you are taller than me? Remember we measured? - Daniel

Hugh and Wilder sit next to each other and Hugh observes the difference in their leg lengths.
Are you noticing that your legs are shorter or longer than Wilder's? - Sam
Shorter ... but I'm four and you're three. - Hugh to Wilder
Maybe because I ate more. - Wilde

What do we notice about the height of our bodies or length of our body parts?
How can we compare them? 
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Frannie: My leg is short like Daniel’s.
Daniel: My legs are bigger than Frannie’s. You know what, since I ate more than Frannie, my legs grow faster than her.
Hugh: My legs are almost the size as yours (Ines'). 
Ines: We are comparing the length of our legs. Did you know you can also compare the  length of our bodies?
Hugh: By scales! A scale is a flat thing that you step on and it has this little thing that tells how big your body is.
Ines: It tells you the weight of your body.
Sam: How heavy something is. 
Ines: What can tell you how long you are?
(Ines bring a measuring tape to the meeting) This is called a measuring tape.
Bea: I actually measured myself today.
Luke: I want to measure me.
Hugh: My nanny has that. 
Daniel: Looks like a belt.
Daniel: I think I’m gonna be up to three. (guessing his height on the measuring tape)

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 Introduction to different measurement tools 

We introduced a variety of measurement tools that we have available in the classroom, such as measuring tape, yardsticks and rulers, to the children during a morning meeting. How do we use them? What are they used for? 

Ines: What is a ruler?
Wilder:It’s something that measures you how tall you are.
Finlay: A ruler. With numbers.
Ines:What do the numbers tell you?
Finlay: How tall you are.
Hugh:Ruler tell you how tall you are. It’s a different thing than a measuring tape. 
Ines: How are they different?
Hugh: There can be different kind of rulers. 
Wilder: Yeah there can.
Remy: I know what’s a ruler. A ruler is something how big it is. Because I saw a ruler from a kid magazine. I have kid magazines at home. Just uno. I speak Spanish.
Ines: So there are different kinds of rulers. Are all rulers the same length?
Remy: No! A measuring ruler for bodies, how big you are.
Ines: What else can you measure with a ruler?
Wilder: You can measure, you can go around your head and see. Like this.
Ines: You can measure different parts of your body.
Jade:    Your feet!
Wilder: Or how long your legs are.
Ines: Can you measure things in the classroom? 
Everyone: Yes.
Wilder: We could measure turtles. You can measure your snake pet if it’s friendly.
Hugh: You could measure something like your TV.
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If you have different tools to measure lengths or heights, we would love to explore and learn more about them in the classroom. Please let us know if you would be able to share them with us!

​Measuring our height  
"It's saying how long you are" - Lily
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We noticed that it can be challenging to measure your height while standing up, so we decided to measure the length of our bodies while laying down on the floor.

Where do we start to measure and where do we stop? 
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First we needed to define a starting point for everyone (we used a line of orange tape on the ground, along which we lined up our heels).  We ran tape alongside the body, making sure to go as straight as possible, which means sometimes dresses, arms and hands had to be adjusted. The tape then got cut off once we reached the top of the head.
Afterwards a measuring tape was used to determine the exact height of our body which was represented by the tape. 

​We used our definition of body height - from the feet to the top of the head - to collaboratively organize animals by their height. 

Is the giraffe taller or shorter than the horse?
(the horse's back was taller than the giraffe's but the giraffe's head was taller than the horse's) 

Is the sting ray taller than the cat?
(the cat's ear was taller than the sting rays flat body, regardless of  the sting ray's larger body width)

​Do we measure the turtle to the top of its shell or its head?

different forms and applications of measurement
around the classroom
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using blocks as an alternative unit of measurement 
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Lily and Finlay placed long, rectangular blocks alongside the red tape, which represents Lily’s body height/length.

​Lily:    One, two three, four, five (counting the “space” between the end of the last block and the end of the tape) 
Ines:    Did the blocks reach all the way to the top? 
Lily:    No. We need one.
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Finlay adds a long skinny block that then covers the red tape completely.

Finlay:    Look!
Lily:    Now we can’t see the red. (lifting up the block to compare to the length tape underneath) It’s too long. It’s too long.  (adding another block to the top) This would be too long. Mhh…

Ines:    Do you think we have a shorter block that we could try?

Finlay walks over to the construction area and brings back four longer boards.

Lily: No! We said shorter, not longer. Oh yeah, maybe two would work. Two maybe. I guess. I think. Let’s take this off (removing shorter blocks on the top)

Finlay lays long boards on top of previously used blocks along the tape.

Finlay: It goes inside. (Boards extend the length of the tape)
Lily:    Well, we did say short. 

Finlay brings smaller square blocks from the construction area.

Finlay:    Well these are the shortest one I can find. 
Lily:     Yeah, that would be better. I think that’s just right. 
Ines:     So we used three of the longer ones.
Lily:     And three of these? (holding up square blocks)
Ines:    Yes, let’s try it out.
Lily:    It works.

measuring items around the classroom

using measurement as a tool to create Remy's birthday portrait costume

measurement as a way to define and create 

Hugh: I'm trying to making a square. 
Ines: I see you're using a measuring tape for it. How is the measuring tape helping you to make a square?
Hugh: So I know where to cut.

At first Hugh placed the measuring tape on the piece of paper and tried to cut along it. We noticed that the measuring tape didn't provide the stability Hugh was looking for when attempting to mark and cut the paper. Next we tried to use a ruler to mark the location in which Hugh wanted to cut the paper.