Lesson 1: Systems of Measurement and Personal Referents
Summary
- How can referents be used to estimate measurements?
- Why are there two systems of measurement?
In this lesson you used referents to approximate both SI units and imperial units. You examined referents for linear measure including millimetre, centimetre, metre, kilometre, inch, foot, yard, and mile. You used referents to estimate linear measurements, and then you compared those estimates to the actual measurements. You also learned about the origins of the SI and imperial systems of measurement. In your discussions with your peers and with tradespeople in your community, you learned that some trades have adopted the SI, whereas others continue to use the imperial system.
In the next lesson you will use your knowledge of referents to choose appropriate units for measuring, and you will also learn strategies for solving measurement problems.