Metric and Customary Units.
Customary Measurements
 is another system of measurement used in the United States to describe how long, how heavy, or how big something is. 
inch (in.) 12 inches (in) = 1 foot (ft) An inch is about the length from the tip of the thumb to the first knuckle.  
foot (ft) 3 feet = 1 yard (yd) A foot is about the length of a piece of paper.
yard (yd) 36 inches (in) = 1 yard (yd) A yard is about the length of a baseball bat.
mile (mi) 5280 feet = 1 mile (mi) A mile is about the distance a person can walk in 20 minutes.
Metric Measurements
is another system of measurement used to describe an object's length, mass, or volume.
Kilometer (km) 1 km = 1,000 m A kilometer is about the length of 100 school buses lined up end to end.
Meter (m) 1 m = 100 cm A meter is about half the height of a door.

Decimeter (dm) 1 dm = 10 cm A decimeter is about the width of your teacher's hand.

Centimeter (cm) 1 cm = 10 mm A centimeter is about the width of a pencil.

Tools for Measuring Length    

Ruler
  The ruler is a standard mathematical tool. Always look carefully at the scale to determine if you are measuring in inches or centimeters.
Customary Metric

inches
centimeters
You can use a ruler to measure an object to the nearest inch, nearest half inch, and nearest quarter inch. You can use a metric ruler to measure an object to the nearest centimeter.

Let's Practice!
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Created by Carol Carroll
Updated by Nicole Freebern
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