Lesson 8
Meters and Kilometers
Lesson Purpose
Lesson Narrative
Previously, students learned that 1 meter is 100 times as long as 1 centimeter. They converted measurements in meters to centimeters. In this lesson, they extend their understanding of metric units of length to include kilometers.
Students develop a sense for 1,000 meters by reasoning multiplicatively about shorter measurements in meters. For example, they see that 1,000 meters is 20 times the length of a 50-meter pool, 10 times the length of a 100-meter track, and so on. In doing so, students develop an awareness of 1 kilometer as 1,000 times as long as 1 meter.
Students use tables and what they know about multiples of 1,000 to support their reasoning as they multiply whole numbers by 1,000 to convert kilometers to meters (MP7).
- Action and Expression
- MLR7
Activity 1: How Long is One Kilometer?
Learning Goals
Teacher Facing
- Describe the multiplicative relationship between kilometers and meters.
- Express kilometers in terms of meters.
Student Facing
- Let’s explore measurements in meters and kilometers.
Required Materials
Required Preparation
Lesson Timeline
| Warm-up | 10 min |
| Activity 1 | 20 min |
| Activity 2 | 15 min |
| Lesson Synthesis | 10 min |
| Cool-down | 5 min |
Teacher Reflection Questions
Suggested Centers
- How Close? (1–5), Stage 6: Multiply to 3,000 (Addressing)
- Compare (1–5), Stage 3: Multiply within 100 (Supporting)
Print Formatted Materials
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Additional Resources
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