Unit Conversions And Problem Solving With Metric Measurement - Lesson Plan Template Page 2
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Grade 4
Module 2
Unit Conversions and Problem Solving
with Metric Measurement
OVERVIEW
Students have become accustomed to thinking of 250 as 2 hundreds 5 tens, but the idea of a mixed unit shows up in
many varied contexts, such as 2 hr 5 min, $2.50, 2 km 5 m, 2’ 5”, 2
/
(hours and minutes, dollars and cents,
5
8
kilometers and meters, feet and inches, ones and eighths). While the context and the units may vary greatly, there are
many common threads present in any mixed unit calculation. Consider the connections and similarities between the
following equalities:
2,437
2 thousands 437 ones
=
2,437 ones
2 km 437 m
2,437 m
2 kilometers 437 meters
=
2,437 meters
2 kg 437 g
2,437 g
2 kilograms
437 grams
=
2,437 grams
2 L 437 mL
2,437 mL
2 liters
437 milliliters
=
2,437 milliliters
In order to explore the process of working with mixed units, Module 2 focuses on length, mass, and capacity in the
metric system, where place value serves as a natural guide for moving between larger and smaller units. In Topic A,
students review place value concepts while building fluency to decompose or convert from larger to smaller units.
They learn the relative sizes of measurement units, building off prior knowledge of grams, kilograms, meters, and
centimeters. As students progress through the topics, they reason about correct unit sizes and use diagrams such as
number lines with measurement scales to represent problems. Conversions between the units are recorded in a two-
column table. Addition and subtraction single-step problems of metric units provides an opportunity to practice
mental math calculations as well as solve using the addition and subtraction algorithms established in Module 1.
Students reason by choosing to convert between mixed and single units before or after the computation. Connecting
their familiarity of metric units and place value, the module moves swiftly through each unit of conversion, spending
only one day on each type. This initial understanding of unit conversions will allow for further application and practice
throughout subsequent modules, such as when multiplying and dividing metric units.
In Topic B, students again build off of their measurement work from previous grade levels, solidify their
understanding of the relationship between metric units and the place value chart, and apply unit conversions to solve
and reason about multi-step word problems. Applying the skills learned in Module 1, students discover and explore
the relationship between place value and conversions. The beauty both of our place value and measurement systems
is the efficiency and precision permitted by the use of different size units to express a given quantity. As students
solve word problems by adding and subtracting metric units, their ability to reason in parts and wholes is taken to the
next level, which is important preparation for multi-digit operations and for manipulating fractional units in future
modules. Tape diagrams and number lines will serve as models throughout to support applying the standard
algorithm to word problems.
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